If teachers and students are the heart of the school, then the custodial staff is the backbone. They clean up when we leave and make sure we have a tidy workspace. The next day, their vital role often goes unnoticed.

On March 25, the Linganore staff threw a party for the custodians, with a heartfelt “thank you” and chocolate cake. This was because in the March staff meeting, several departments recognized the custodians for their work, but they don’t normally attend these meetings, so they could not hear the praise.

While the staff members see the importance of the custodians, the student body doesn’t recognize the impact this team makes.  Students can help custodians with just a few changes.

We can show our support of the custodial staff by picking up after ourselves. That will mean a lot more than a simple thank you to the custodians.

Custodian Melvin Tyler said,  “Pick up after yourselves more.”

“So much paper left after school.” said Sam Biggus seconded.

This makes sense. There are 50+ rooms to be cleaned. The amount of trash and recyclables that needs to be picked up must be staggering.

Their work doesn’t end there. When we have a snow day, it’s the custodians’ job to clear off the snow around the building. After the football games, the custodial staff has to spend up to three hours after the game to clean the stadium, empty the trash cans, and clean the bathrooms.

They also stay in the school during the summer, making sure it’s absolutely spotless for us when we return.

Michael Bowles, the head of the custodial staff, said, “We strip each classroom down, wash all of the floors and scrub every inch of every room.”

Most choose Linganore over other work situations. Biggus said “Students are nice, and the teachers are nice.”

“We work hard to keep the place clean for you,” said Jim Eckfield, a part-time custodian.

If every student took a minute to look under their desks after class, we could mitigate the trash that custodians need to pick up. Let’s give them a hand, they don’t need extra work from us.