By Jessie Weisner

Local custodian creates valentines for entire school

Feb 12, 2019 | 3:52 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — A local school custodian is being recognized for taking the time to create a valentine for every student and staff member at her school.

Lindsy Bonogofski is a custodian at Webster Niblock School. She’s typically working behind the scenes, tidying up desks or sweeping the floors, but she also works to make every day better for students.

“I just got this idea that maybe it would be a positive influence if everyone thought that someone cared enough to put their name on a valentine just for them,” says Bonogofski.

This Sunday, she decided to spend her own time creating Valentine’s Day hearts for every single student and staff member at the school.

HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Summer pool hours extended and discounts applied as Big Marble Go Centre upgrades start

Apr 18, 2024

Medicine Hat company drawing in clients with witty signage

Apr 16, 2024

Medicine Hat College holding event for missing and murdered Indigenous women awareness day

Apr 16, 2024

After four hours of cutting, gluing and taping, 265 valentines were up on the walls.

“You have no idea what’s going on at home with these kids or with the staff members,” says Bonogofski. “You work with them every day but you don’t know whats going on in their personal life and maybe they just need that little boost, coming in to school that day and seeing their name on a heart.”

Students were ecstatic when they saw the hearts on Monday.

“You know they felt really special that somebody had recognized them and that their name was up there,” says Rachelle Ulmer, vice principal at Webster Niblock. “So looking at their faces through the glass it was amazing.”

“The kids have been fabulous,” says Bonogofski. “I don’t see the kids because I come after hours, but yesterday, a teacher met me at the door and said you know my class was so excited to come up today and find their names on the hearts.”

Bonogofski has received massive amounts of praise online and in the school for her actions, but she’s typically used to being the ‘unseen’ helper.

“The reactions been overwhelming, I tried to do it secretively but it’s sort of blown out of proportion.”

However, she’s doing positive things behind the scenes on a daily basis.

From leaving encouraging notes on the white boards and students desks, to filling up the school with pink balloons on anti-bullying day.

“You’ll often find notes on the white board encouraging students to be clean and thanking them when they are they reciprocate by sending her messages back,” says Ulmer. “If there’s a project going on and she can see that in the classroom when she’s cleaning, the next day she’s got little supplies in there, so she always knows what’s going on in our school even though she’s not present there during the day.”

Ulmer says although Bonogofski isn’t seen very often, she’s an essential part of the school.

“You know Mrs. B is our night custodian so she’s not around when the kids are all here and her job is to keep the school really clean which she does, but she always goes above and beyond, always thinking about the students,” says Ulmer. “It’s like this person that they never get to see but she’s always there, so I say she always kind of that extra special sparkle that Webster Niblock has.”