From picking up half-eaten apples off the floor to taking a shoe out of a dirty toilet, they do it all. Our custodians here at West have done so much for us even though it may seem as if it’s just an ordinary job.
Interviewing Mr. Pierce McKie, Head Custodian, was the most inspiring experience I have ever had. He is so lively and happy. You can’t help but smile when he talks to you.
Some would think working as a custodian would be a bad thing; however, there is nothing McKie dislikes about it. “Interacting with other staff,” McKie says after being asked what is most rewarding about being a custodian. “It’s them [other custodians] who make me who I am.”
Mr. Mckie has worked as a custodian for almost 26 years. For 13 years he worked in East Orange, New Jersey, 6 years at Cherry Hill East, and 7 years at West. He is a hard-working man who loves what he does. He works 6 days a week from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, but no matter what, he is always on call.
Because of many of the workers, such as Rosa, a fellow custodian, McKie doesn’t mind the work. “We’re a family, all of us,” he says as he laughs with other staff and gives Rosa a friendly hug. McKie has a family at home with whom he loves to spend his free time. He has a wife, two daughters, and three grandchildren. He considers the custodians here at West as his second family.
Helping Rosa out in the lunch room after LB2 was back-hurting and exhausting, but it was just the beginning. The custodians also have gyms, hallways, and classrooms to clean. From experience, I notice students don’t seem to realize nor acknowledge the work the custodians have to deal with on an everyday basis.
“I want them to understand the effort and hard work the custodians and myself do. We may be different like day and night, but we still are all a family,” McKie says.
I did a survey on “Who Knows the Head Custodians Name,” with 80 students of the school; most were seniors. To my surprise, only 6 of these students knew Mr. McKie’s name. Most of the seniors here have been attending West for all four years, and a great percentage of them can’t name the head custodian.
To show some appreciation to the custodians, my mother and I had a little surprise get-together in the cafeteria. I had my mother make them a sort of trophy out of clay and we made souvenir cups for them to take home. We also made fruit salad, cake cupcakes, and brought some soda. Since we had some extra sweets, we invited in some students from the hallway and invited them to join in. It was really an amazing experience to see the smiles on our custodian’s faces.
So as a message to the students here at West, when you see Mr. McKie, Rosa, or any other custodian walking down the hall, stop and say hello. They all work very hard to keep a clean and safe school for us. Show a little appreciation and do your part. Recycle when you can and clean up after yourself during lunch. The little things you do can make a big difference.