Every February, Oaks Academy staff and faculty look forward to bags of candy and kind notes on pink paper in their mailboxes on Valentine’s Day. What started in 2019 with a simple social media post has turned into a large but meaningful undertaking to tell our faculty and staff that they are known and loved by their students and families, peers, and alumni. By spreading the word even more, faculty and staff even received notes from the broader community.
Starting in January, the most important decision is researched, debated and decided: what candy should be included this year? Deliveries of heavy bags of candy and thick reams of pink paper are dropped off at the Martindale-Brightwood campus over the next few weeks and an easy-to-use submission form is created so participants can select recipients and upload messages in minutes.
As the sweet notes come in by the dozens and hundreds, the packaging of the treats begins!
Staff and student volunteers form a sugar-filled assembly line to fill 200 bags with the candy varieties. This year, the final selections were Skittles or Starburst, Hershey Kisses, Dum-Dums, and strawberry bon bons (a special treat that called back to a story from Andrew Hart at the staff’s January professional development day)!
After the note submission deadline, digital and physical magic occurs so more than 1,700 notes can be printed, packaged, and delivered to staff on Valentine’s Day. After over 700 pages are printed and cut into quarters, there’s a little more sorting to get them ready for their candy bags, ensuring the best note (from The Oaks Academy itself!) is on top.
Each staff member’s stack of notes is hand-packaged into the bag, sealed, and then delivered to their mailbox. It’s just like Christmas morning, but pink, heart-themed, and sugary-sweet!
On Valentine’s Day, staff and faculty unseal their goody bags to read the kind, inspiring and even funny messages from our community – and enjoy their candy! What started with a simple social media post is a highly anticipated gift that brings inspiration, smiles, and the physical embodiment of being known and loved every year.
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Change is always challenging, especially when it may effect your children. Please share any questions or comments you have using the form below, or by emailing me directly at ahart@theoaksacademy.org.
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