Illinois Second Graders Adore School Janitor, Line Up to Get Yearbooks Autographed
By Nicole Pelletiere, Good Morning America, June 8, 2015
Steve Weidner, a custodian at Alan Shepard Elementary School in Bourbonnais, Illinois, said it made him feel great to see that each and every second grade student lined up near the playground in hopes to have him autograph their yearbooks.
“I get along great with the kids,” Weidner told ABC News. “They are really great. We joke around a bunch and they’re able to talk to me and stuff like that.”
Weidner, a father of four and known as “Mr. Steve” to the kids, has been a part of the janitorial staff at Shepard for 15 years now.
Last week, Weidner said he signed all 104 of the second graders’ yearbooks after lunch--in addition to 200 more from other classes.
“I walked through the playground to get through the building and they saw me and started running,” he said. “You get one, you get all of them. Once they got a line I sat down.”
The district posted a photo of a long line of second graders patiently waiting for Mr. Steve’s yearbook signatures on their Facebook page Wednesday, June 3.
“Shepard Custodian Steve “Mr. Steve” Weidner has reached Rock Star status as he autographs yearbooks for his “fans,”!” the caption read.
The snapshot was uploaded to Reddit June 5 where it has racked up over three million views.
“The students count on Mr. Steve to be there when they need him,” principal Shirley Padera said. “They are comfortable asking for his help.
“He [Mr. Steve] has good relationships with the students,” she added. “Many of our children remain in the building for 5 years because our grade levels are kindergarten through 4th grade. They have many opportunities to interact with Mr. Steve.”