MADISON, Ohio — Students, teachers and staff at Madison Local Schools in Lake County are starting their school year off with a smile thanks to the Madison Public Library.
The library donated a little over 200 “smile buttons” to the district featuring the grinning faces of teachers and staff. The buttons are intended to be worn on masks staff members are required to wear as part of safety measures implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“What better way to let kids see a smiling face the first day of school, cause they can’t with a mask on, then to do buttons,” says DeeAnna Culbertson, director of the Madison Public Library.
Culbertson says one of her staff members came up with the idea after reading about a hospital system that incorporated something similar.
The buttons took about three weeks to make.
Madison Local Schools Superintendent Angela Smith says the gift was well received.
“We have a strong partnership with The Madison Public Library. So, when they reached out to us to provide buttons so students can see what their teachers look like behind the mask, our team thought it was a great idea,” says Smith.
Culbertson believes it's important for students to see adults' full faces even though masks cover their smiles.
“They need to have that friendly smiling face to know that the teacher is there for them. You know this is somebody that is going to care for them and watch over them during the day when their parents or guardians aren’t there,” says Culbertson. “Everyone wants to see a smile.”
Library patrons can also make their own smile buttons.
The library’s button maker is available for public use with a charge of 25 cents per button.
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