by Mimi Ramsdell
School safety is being stressed this year at Hopkinton High School. Locks on every locker, cameras in the parking lots and bike racks are only a few of the additions Mr. Sousa has mentioned to improve school safety. While each of these additions does improve school safety, there is always the timeless question -- who keeps the school safe? Mr. Sousa believes it is the students, teachers, and administration who keep the school safe. But let’s not forget a group of staff that truly keeps the school safe. From locking the doors, to sanding the walkways in the winter, the custodial staff works hard every day.
The custodial staff, the truly under-appreciated workers of HHS, keep the school safe. Walking into the school every morning, it is noticeably clean. Not only is it easier to focus in a classroom that doesn’t have gum stuck to the bottom of the desk or broken chairs, but it helps prevent the spread of germs. Having the classrooms disinfected keeps students and staff safer every day, especially this fall and winter.
Furthermore, all of Mr. Sousa’s ideas, mentioned earlier, involve help from the custodial staff. Who installed the bike racks or will cut off locks when students forget their combinations? Brian Hall, a custodian, entered the office the other day reporting that a student’s car alarm kept going off. That is something the cameras could not see, and it helped keep HHS safer.
The custodial staff are recognized by some; the superintendent, Mr. Chamberlin, provided them with lunch to show his appreciation for all of their hard work over the summer. It is a shame that more people do not recognize their impact on HHS. Mr. Sousa stresses that students can’t learn if the environment is not safe. The custodial staff deserves much of the credit for keeping HHS a productive learning environment.
