Awesome fact of the day. I found some utility in them, but the history connects it all.

In the public school in which I teach, wing-dings are useful to add privacy to our web based student attendance system. Kids with health issues, Individualized Education Plans, parent custody notifications, English language learners, outstanding behavioral concerns, homelessness, and others are indicated by student names with particular wing-dings. The coding of the wing dings is given to teachers each year so that we can help get the needed services to the right kid, or at least, make a teacher better aware of a student's given situation quickly.