Many people work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our school running smoothly, but custodians are especially vital to creating a clean environment. These hardworking people work to keep our space tidy, clearing up any kind of mess students leave behind. 

“My favorite part [of this job] is just working, cleaning, cleaning the office, the restroom, [all] the rooms,” custodian Blanca Templeton said. 

Templeton is an after-school custodian who helps ready the school for each next day. Without people like her, our school would be a mess every day. 

“[Custodians] play a vital part in our positive environment that we provide here at Rock Hill High School,” assistant principal Dedrick Buckels said. “They make sure that our school has an inviting space and welcoming space for all students, staff, and visitors. [They] make sure that it’s clean and presentable.”

Buckels insists that showing appreciation for the janitorial staff is essential. 

“Ensure that they are seen, loved, and heard by picking up your trash, supporting them, giving them a smile, saying thank you from time to time, but most importantly, when you see trash, don’t wait for them to pick it up,” Buckels said. “Part of our core value is service, you can be a service to them…by picking up after yourselves.”

The custodians work diligently and often for long hours. Knowing their efforts are crucial for the school to function effectively.

“They’re unseen heroes, and because they’re unseen heroes, today we say, ‘thank you.’” Buckels said. “We want to let you know that we cannot do this thing called school without having every single person on our campus being seen as someone that is valued, and we definitely value our custodians each and every day for the hard work that they do behind the scenes.”