They’re the people who bring you home and take you to school, doing the best they can to get you where you need to be, safely and on time. They cook and serve your lunches, making sure you get enough to eat. They clean up after your messes, big and small, and ensure that the hallways, bathrooms, classrooms and cafeterias are all clean.

It’s easy for us to let the hard work and effort of the custodians, bus drivers, lunch ladies and office staff to go under appreciated. They do so much for us so we can get through our day the best that we can. Their work and effort contributes to the one goal that all of the staff and faculty at York share: for their students to be successful.

They always made it about you, so why don’t we make it about them?

The staff members at York deserve an endless amount of respect and gratitude. Even the smallest of gestures is enough to let them know they’re appreciated. Next time you leave the cafeteria, make sure you fit in a thank you to the lunch lady who just served you lunch, or the custodian that took out the trash. Next time you get off the bus, make an effort to thank the bus driver for getting you home or to school safely and on time. Even when you’re having a bad day, just remember they could have had one that was just as bad.

Knowing and appreciating openly who they are and what they do for the school is a feeling that everyone deserves to know. Whether it’s a “thank you”, a “have a good day”, or even a smile, it will mean more than you will ever know to them.