Unsung Heroes: Hamilton’s Custodians
Photo from Hamilton School District.
Sienna Kenney
One of the first things that can be recognized when entering Hamilton High School is its cleanliness. Clean mopped floors, virtually no trash, and primed and pampered classrooms are a norm here at Hamilton all thanks to the amazing custodial staff. Members of this staff include the night staff: Kevin Becker, Judy Savanah, Sarah Marsh, Donovan Kehoe, Kevin Richards, David Tenbroeke, and Justin Ciardo. Day staff members are Dan Diedrick, Andrew Redding, and Cody Curtis. Our maintenance staff includes Dave LaPerriere, Dan Houston, and Brian Wissbeck along with the grounds staff of Brian Sendzik and Jerad Perlberg.
For the night staff members, they are responsible for after-school sweeping, mopping, trash dumping, vacuuming, glass cleaning, desktops, counter tops, sinks, and restrooms. Once a week, depending on the season, they will disinfect all classrooms. Additionally, they do event set-ups at night for all home sporting events including cleaning up afterwards and providing things clubs or groups may need.
A quote from Mr. Gosz, the Athletic Director at Hamilton High School, says, “I don't know if there are enough words to describe our custodians and buildings and grounds staff. They truly are the backbone of Hamilton High School, and I certainly would call them the MVPs. Without them this school would not be what we are...students, staff, and administration should be thankful for the job they day. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank this group...they are the BEST!”
For the day staff, there are three in-house custodians that separate duties between the Fine Arts Center, the kitchen area, and district storage as they answer calls during the day. They are always on hand during school hours to assist with bathroom cleaning, cafeteria cleanings, and event setups in the LGA and Little Theater as well as assisting with early morning snow removal starting at 5:00 a.m., or 3:00 a.m. on snow days. The maintenance crew is in charge of repairs, the heating and cooling plant, plumbing, electrical, light fixtures, and all other mechanical needs in the building. The grounds crew are also on-site members of the custodial staff that take care of day-to-day exterior maintenance, lawn maintenance, and striping of the fields where they work closely with the high school athletics crew.
As for staffing hours in the Hamilton High School building, there are around 9-10 staff members in the building, not including grounds crew, constantly throughout the day. For holidays and weekends when students are at home relaxing, custodians come in and work as well as assist with events that may still be occurring. Snow days are times when custodians can choose to take a personal/vacation day, but Mr. Navarro, the Manager of Buildings and Ground, recounted how “around 50% of staff still come in on snow days to assist with snow removal.”
This dedication and pride in the school that this staff has is remarkable, which has also been noticed by our Superintendent Dr. Mielke, as he stated, “The custodial staff at the Hamilton School District are the unsung heroes of our daily operations. They are often the first to arrive and the last to leave, ensuring our learning environment is not only clean but also safe and welcoming for everyone. Their responsiveness and helpfulness go beyond mere duties; they embody the spirit of care and commitment that is essential to our district. While their efforts may often go unnoticed, it's important to recognize and celebrate the vital role they play in making our school a better place every day. We are grateful for their hard work and the positive impact they have on our school community.”
In terms of how we students can better show our appreciation for these exceptional members of our community and staff here at Hamilton, Mr. Navarro has shared some important pieces of information. He shared, “A custodian job is a humbling job, so just a smile, interacting with them, or noticing small details motivates the staff increasingly.” To also help them efficiently do their jobs, students can be better about picking up trash in the hallways, minimizing eating in classrooms, and overall just taking more pride in the building. Hamilton High School is where students come to learn, and a clean environment gifted to us by the janitorial staff is something that students should be grateful for.
Our principal, Mrs. Newcomer, mentioned, “I am always impressed with the dedication of the Buildings and Grounds crew. They not only keep our building clean, they do so many things that add to the overall welcoming feeling of the grounds. For example, the holiday lights on the large pine trees in front of the Fine Arts Center, and the beautiful flowers in the flower bed by the Athletic Facility. They truly are unsung heroes in our building, and I am grateful for how they go out of their way to assist whenever we need anything."
From the incredible work our custodians do from small tasks in the classroom to large-scale operations, every detail should be noticed and appreciated. We are blessed to have such a hardworking and passionate staff here in the Hamilton School District that truly cares about the well being of the students, the faculty, and the facilities. As a token of appreciation for his staff, Mr. Navarro stated, “Thank you for being dedicated and coming to work every day. They are truly fearless as they have been here through COVID-19 and continue to fight germs every day in an effort to keep us safe. The school district wouldn’t look as good without them because they not only go above and beyond for our students and staff but also for the community that comes and visits the school. Our most tenured employee, David Tenbroeke, has been at Hamilton 38 years after attending the school himself. This extreme commitment to the job is something special as many of the custodians attended the school, their kids attend the school, or are members of the community.”
We appreciate you custodians for being invested in our safety and well-being while at school, you are delightful members of our community that we are extremely lucky to have here at Hamilton.
