Miramonte celebrates school wide Custodian Appreciation Day on Oct. 2nd. The day is set aside to honor the individuals who work behind the scenes to keep schools, offices, and public spaces safe and clean. Without them, daily life would look a lot different, and a lot more mess and trash would stay on campus. 

At Miramonte, the custodians put in hard work and dedication every day and night to make sure students step out of their classrooms into a clean environment when they step outside their classrooms to go to lunch or brunch.

“My [biggest] [challenge] is to keep the campus clean at all times so our students [can] enjoy the campus when they’re out for lunch,” Edmond Woo, one of the main custodians at Miramonte, said. 

Woo and his coworker, John Fowley, spend two or more hours every day cleaning up after students when the bell rings signaling the end of lunch. 

“Some students and teachers have no clue how many people need to clean the area after lunch. [So], just me and John take care [of] the whole area, the kitchen, and the cafeteria,” said Woo. Just two people have to clean up after over one thousand students every single day, in both the quad and the cafeteria.

Sophomore Sloane Larsen emphasized the essential role our custodians play in maintaining a clean environment: “Our custodians are so important to our school because they keep our school clean and looking good,” said Larsen.

She also noted that without their efforts, classrooms, hallways, and bathrooms would quickly become dirty and unwelcoming. 

Students can show their appreciation towards custodians by picking up after themselves and recognize custodians by saying “thank you” to the custodians once in a while to admire their dedication and hard work. It is a simple task but makes their day every time they hear it. 

To ensure the custodians know they’re appreciated, Leadership is planning a whole week for the janitors to give students and faculty a chance to thank custodians for the energy and effort they put into the school. Details are yet to be set in stone, but leadership ensures it will be special.  In previous years, leadership has honored them by providing them with a party in the staff room, written cards for each of them and a special video thanking them for all they do.

Custodians work hard to keep our school running smoothly. Their efforts that make a big difference in our daily school life should not go unnoticed. Taking time to recognize custodian efforts is a simple way to show how much they matter to our school.