SALISBURY — Rowan-Salisbury Schools has started collecting notes of appreciation for its employees and plans to share some of them with the community.

The district started the program this week, and visiting its website will bring up a message asking you to “Show the Love” by submitting a message and sharing some gratitude for staff members.

The response has been surprising. RSS Marketing and Communications Specialist Jeanie McDowell is collecting the responses. On Wednesday, the district passed 80 submissions after two days of collecting answers.

Anyone can submit a note with a name or anonymously. McDowell said the messages have been addressed to staff in all areas of the district.

McDowell said the idea came from the program the district is collecting the information through. It seemed like a good opportunity to get comments, share them with employees and also to share some of them on social media, McDowell said.

“We are seeing people who are grateful for every level of employee in our district,” McDowell said. “I have gotten countless thank yours for our bus drivers and our school nutrition workers. A lot of students are writing in and telling former teachers and current teachers how big of an impact they’ve had on their lives. Employees are writing into their coworkers and telling them how much they appreciate them. It’s across the board.”

McDowell said it has been fun to read the comments and, more so, to forward them to the people they describe. Some people have responded to say how much the messages made their day.

Meredith Moss, a school nurse at East and North Rowan high schools, got a message from a parent. The parent told Moss how much she appreciated her taking the time to check on her daughter while she was out sick.

The parent said Moss is compassionate and genuinely cares for the students.

Moss said working as a nurse has been overwhelming during the COVID-19 pandemic, but even a small message of appreciation from a parent helped her feel she is in the right place.

“I don’t do it for recognition,” Moss said.

Isenberg Elementary second grade teacher Lyndsay Tomlinson has received two notes so far thanking her for her work. One was from a parent who said Tomlinson inspired and molded their daughter.

Tomlinson said school employees are used to hearing about the negative, and even a small gesture makes a difference.

“That made my whole day yesterday,” Tomlinson said on Wednesday. “Even if it took them two minutes to do that, it made my whole day. I’m doing this. I’m making a difference in lives.”

McDowell said the district plans to start sharing the notes on social media on Monday, Valentine’s Day, and to keep sharing them with employees for the rest of the month.

If you want to tell someone in the district you appreciate their work, visit rssed.org and follow the pop-up instructions to the form.