Thriving Thursday with a Twist Recognitions (TTWATR) is an effort to spread appreciation to the faculty and staff of Chapel Hill High School for acts that may go unnoticed.
TTWATR originated when, earlier this school year, interim principal Shelba Levins approached administrative assistant and student records coordinator Lavernia Bass Devine to see if Bass Devine wouldd be interested in orchestrating a “thankful Thursday.” Bass Devine was known for spreading appreciation among the faculty by sending thoughtful messages.
“I would message the whole staff, just telling them things like ‘I love you’—just thoughtful things I was feeling and I would want to hear if I was having a bad day,” Bass Devine said.
Administrative assistant and substitute coordinator Teresa Sloan, who has been working at Chapel Hill High school for 11 years, said Bass Devine was the perfect person to spread thankfulness each Thursday.
“Ms. Devine had been sending us love letters for years. Her in-house signature line says something like, ‘If no one else has told you today, I love you.’ How can you not feel grateful when someone tells you that?” Sloan said.
Through TTWATR, any faculty or staff member can send an anonymous message voicing appreciation for a kind act that may have gone unnoticed or just express gratitude to a staff member they wish to thank.
Chapel Hill High School employees can submit a fellow employee’s name with an anonymous message through a form Bass Devine sends out on “Wonderful Wednesday,” a name she coined. Bass Devine then compiles the anonymous messages weekly and emails the notes of thankfulness to faculty and staff each Thursday morning.
English teacher Sarah Paterson said receiving messages through TTWATR has improved her day on a rough morning.
“I got one once when I’d had a pretty bad morning, and it really turned my day around to get a small kindness,” she said. “I like to send them when I’m feeling gratitude—it’s nice to have an avenue to share it instead of keeping it to myself.”
Paterson also shared an anecdote about a summer camp she previously worked at.
“TTWATR reminds me of something I did in an old job as a summer camp counselor,” Paterson said. “We did something then we called ‘Warm Fuzzies,’ where we delivered uplifting notes to our fellow staff, and I remember how meaningful those notes could be on hard days. I love that Ms. Bass Devine is leading the charge here. When we can contribute to a culture of kindness, respect, and positivity in even small, quick ways, everyone benefits.”
Sloan, who has sent and received messages through TTWATR, said the expressions of gratitude are uplifting and inspiring and make faculty and staff feel supported.
“I’ve received many thank you messages: we-appreciate-you kinds of messages. I feel proud of myself, and it keeps inspiring me to do even better. I also like reading about all the other people. It’s a whole page full of love,” Sloan said.
Bass Devine said that TTWATR is important because it recognizes people who often go overlooked.
“Not everybody gets recognized, so it’s up to us [staff members] to appreciate other staff members,” Bass Devine said. “It gives a good sense of community, as well as allows other people to see the good work or positive energy [staff members] are giving out. It makes you feel appreciated in a world where people often go unrecognized.”
