On Friday, Urbana High School (UHS) teachers got a special opportunity to unwind after a long year through donations from Urbana community members and Urbana School District #116 (USD #116) parents.

From 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Friday, UHS staff were treated to refreshments, sweets and massages to help them de-stress after a long year of hard work. The massages, treats and refreshments were entirely supplied through the donations of Urbana community members and USD #116 parents who wanted to thank the staff members for their hard work and dedication throughout the 2018-2019 school year.

“ Our children have had excellent experiences in Urbana schools and we love our teachers and staff,” said USD #116 parent and one of Friday’s Licensed Massage Therapists, Susan Roughton. “ We really wanted to show our teachers and staff that we know how hard they are working and that we appreciate what they are doing for our children.”

Roughton was one of many parents and community members who donated their time and efforts to show USD #116 staff appreciation. After organizing a similar event for Urbana Middle School staff earlier in May and receiving positive feedback, she encouraged Urbana community members and USD #116 parents to help keep events like these going. After a few days, the community donated over $400 to cover massage services, treats and refreshments for another staff appreciation event.

Over 50 UHS staff members signed up to receive a massage during Friday’s event. Other staff members showed up to grab some treats and thank the parents for donating their time and money for the event. In addition to the cash donations, several community members and parents donated snacks for the event, including a local chocolatier who donated 100 chocolate mousse desserts for UHS staff to enjoy.

USD #116 parents hope to continue the local support in order to host more staff appreciation events in USD #116 schools during the upcoming year.

All USD #116 staff would like to thank all USD #116 parents and Urbana community members who donated their time and funds to show their appreciation for USD #116 staff. The District will continue to work hard to make sure that all student, parent and guardian needs are met as they plan for a bright, new school year.