For one Grayslake Central student, it was a teacher who offered to stay after school to help anyone who needed it before the AP exam. For another, it was a coach who greeted them at practice and asked how they’re doing.
Small moments like these are at the heart of Every Moment Matters, a theme Grayslake Central is embracing all school year to recognize the people who make a difference in the school’s everyday life.
Central launched the theme by opening its staff institute day with a video montage of students recognizing teachers for small moments that made a difference to them. One student recalled a teacher reminding the class before the AP test that even without a perfect score, they had done their best and were not “less of a person.”
Now, Central is inviting everyone to share their own moments.
“Every day at Central, there are moments worth recognizing,” Principal Dan Landry said in a video introducing the program. “These moments matter, and we want to hear about them.”
Posters placed around the school by student interns ask a simple question: Has somebody made your day better? Students and staff can scan the QR code or fill out the online recognition form to recognize a classmate who made someone’s day, a staff member who went the extra mile, someone who accomplished something incredible, or anyone who deserves recognition.
Submissions are already coming in from students and staff. Each person recognized will soon receive a small pin with the Every Moment Matters logo, along with a note explaining why they were recognized. The promise behind the program is simple: You recognize someone, and Central will take care of celebrating them.
“See it. Share it. Moments matter,” Landry said.