We come to school every day and do not appreciate or recognize the heroes at our school. Heroes don’t have to be people who have powers or wear capes; our heroes are the ones who keep us safe and make our lives easier. Some heroes can even be the ones you see every day, for example, cafeteria workers, nurses, custodians, security guards, or the people we see in the office are major parts of our lives. We should appreciate them and give them a lot more credit for what they do for us.
Security
Security guards are such a big part of our school’s safety. They patrol campuses, manage the kids coming in and unauthorized visitors, and keep us safe from any danger. Our security guards are always there for any emergency. Some people may think that they are not as serious because they are so nice, but that is because while working in a school they want to maintain a peaceful and positive environment, but it’s important to know that they are always ready.
I want to take this opportunity to recognize our first unsung hero at WMS, Officer Mike. He is a security guard at our school who works hard and brings a very positive environment at our school. Some things that he enjoys include going fishing and playing softball.
Officer Mike explained what his responsibilities are on day to day basis, “We make sure the doors are secured, we monitor the video cameras and make sure that anyone coming in the building is authorized, so basically we check all of the doors are secured so no one can get in or out, we monitor people coming in and out, basically make sure kids are safe and make sure everything is in working order around the building.”
He also stated what his favorite part of his job is, “Basically spending time in the building and seeing the kids.”
How can we make their lives better?
Security Guards work hard and we can do small things to show that we care. Some things that we can do is showing respect, saying ‘hi’, or just recognizing them for what they do for us everyday.
Cafeteria
Cafeteria workers work tirelessly to make sure every kid is satisfied and fed. This takes a very long time prepping the food and making sure they have backup of everything. Not only do they have to make food for hundreds of students each day, but they have to be aware of student allergies and food restrictions due to religion. This can be so time consuming, as well as a lot of work, which is why we should be lucky to have such amazing cafeteria workers.
So now I want to take the time and introduce our next unsung hero of WMS, Mrs. Kathleen. She is such a heartwarming person who is always so nice to everyone and shows how much she truly loves her job. Not only does she do extra for the students making sure everyone is satisfied, but puts so much effort into making sure all students get a balanced meal.
How can we make their lives better?
Cafeteria workers work so hard and sometimes they need a little break, so some things we can do to make their job a little easier is giving them compliments when getting our lunch, making sure we put back anything that we don’t take, asking how their day is, and saying please and thank you.
Custodial
Custodians in our schools are so important to the fabric of our school environment. Studies show that having a clean space to work in boosts productivity, mental clarity, and focus. In many ways custodians are the back of schools because without them students would be sick all the time; even more than they already are.
For the next unsung hero at WMS I want to recognize our very hard working custodian, Mrs. Robin. She is so inspiring in how hard she works and what she does for our school and us. Not only does she have a hard job, but she also always makes sure the kids are doing okay and will talk to us about anything.
Mrs. Robin stated what she wishes people knew about her job, “Well, people should realize it’s a vital part of the school running because without us or without any of us really the school doesn’t run, without the kids we don’t need it, without us it doesn’t stay clean, without the teachers nobody learns.”
She also stated what her responsibilities are in a day, “Whatever comes up making sure the bathrooms are clean, floors are clean, anything in the nurses office that needs to be done basically anything any student needs.”
Ms. Robin talked about her interests that she does when not in school, “Well I have six grandchildren that I spend a lot of time with them and I garden– take care of plants, and that really fills up my time. My mom is 88 years old and I take care of her at her house then, of course, take care of my house too and that’s about it. It fills up my time and I do find some time for my friends to go out and have a good time.”
How can we make their lives better?
Custodians have so much on their hands and we can help them by not leaving our trash all over the place. This means that something as small as cleaning up after yourself can go a long way to showing appreciation. They are not here to clean up after us. We can also just stop by and say “hi” or talk to them about how they are doing.
Nurse
Nurses are incredibly important and play a vital role in our schools. They do so much for our schools, students, and staff. People don’t know how much nurses help others, not only in being sick or having an injury, but being there as a source to talk to. They also make sure that in the event of any emergency the student or students are protected. The nurse is the heartbeat of our schools, pun intended.
I would like to take the time and recognize our next unsung hero of WMS, who people know as Nurse Tully or Nurse Lauren. She is such an insightful person who is always there for anything that arouses. Her positivity and love for her job really shows, which so many people appreciate because when someone goes to her for anything whether it being sickness, injury, or just someone to talk to it instantly puts that person into a better mood. I will definitely say she has always made my day better when I am not having a good one.
Nurse Lauren expounded on what she wishes people knew about her job, “It’s a little more than just ice packs and bandaids. Sometimes it’s a mental health thing and being more like a counselor than a nurse and there is also other stuff behind the scenes that I do like paper work that gets done also.”
She also explained how she budgets her time with so many students visiting throughout the day, “So I will see who is the most sick or the kid that needs me the most and I start with that kid and I kind of work my way down.”
Nurse Lauren explained what her interests are outside of school, “Outside of school I have two children–a 14 year old and a 3 year old, so they keep me very busy. My oldest is into sports and cheering and stuff, so that’s a lot there, and then for myself, I like to workout on my alone time and I also like reading.”
How can we make their lives better?
Nurses, I feel, are always up and down left and right having to make sure everyone and everything is good and healthy. This can be exhausting and can be hard just for one person, so we can make sure we’re not cutting class just to talk with friends, we return anything that belongs in the nurses office, and let them know we care.
Office
Secretaries in our schools have a lot of tasks they have to do. They’re the central hub of the school. Not only do they manage the daily office operations or greeting and patrolling visitors, they also have to maintain student records, handle any communication between staff, parents, and administrators, and they have so much paperwork they have on top of that. Secretaries honestly are so busy and no one really thinks about that.
Lastly, but not least, for our last unsung heroes of WMS I would like to recognize Mrs. Covino, Mrs. Tish, and Mrs. Lewis. These three are a powerhouse when working together; they all are so important to the school being that they need to be on board and know when kids arrive, leave, or the people that are unauthorized that come in the building or are by the building. Not to mention that they are all so positive and welcoming when someone comes into their office space.
When our secretaries are not at school they are enjoying time with their kids as all of them are moms. Mrs. Lewis loves to go shopping, travel, and play with her dogs, Mrs. Tish loves to do makeup, and Mrs. Covino loves to spend time with her family.
Mrs. Lewis explained what some difficulties that she runs into on a daily basis, “If we don’t have substitutes sign up for the teachers then you have to pull teachers from other duties.”
Mrs. Covino remarked what she does to get ready for the upcoming year in the summer, “We take out the old files we packaged those away, we get it ready for the new files that come in and then we don’t register the kids, but when the new kids come in the administration they’ll take care of their schedules and things like that.”
Mrs. Tish talked about how she starts her days off and what her responsibilities are, “I come in, I set my stuff down, I turn my computer on, I go set up for late passes in the lobby, answering phones, doing reports, things like that.”
How can we make their lives better?
Our secretaries in the main office do so much more than we realize and we can do small things that can make them feel recognized like talking to them about their days, or giving compliments to them. These might be small acts to you, but they are so much bigger and will help make the school a better place.
I want to recognize all of the unsung heroes that make our school so much better. We should all give them credit for everything that they do and show them respect. This will not only make them feel seen, but will make everyone else see how much we need them to keep our school clean, safe, organized, and healthy.
