Each night, as students and faculty sleep soundly in bed, the Magical Cleaning Fairies of Seabury arrive at school, sweeping and scrubbing till sun up. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, the Seabury community returns to a pristine school in the morning. Oh, how sparkly the mirrors! Oh, how slick the floors! The work of these Magical Cleaning Faires, though, is not of actual magic. The people behind our school’s cleanliness usually work after school hours or wash the dishes after lunch.
“I have sports every day … I probably see [the janitors] like once or twice a week,” says sophomore Sydney Walters. “I know they wipe down the bathrooms and make sure they’re clean.”
Senior Grant Bryan, however, has not interacted with the custodians as much. “I don’t really see them often. I’m not here after school often, and I have no clue what their names are,” he says.
Similar to Bryan, seventh grader Curtis Akoragye doesn’t know the custodians as well. “I see them every time after school,” he says. “I only know A.B, though.”
While most students may not interact with the cleaners very often, the community tends to uphold a very grateful attitude, according to custodian Rex Enos. “I started [at Seabury in] 2022,” he says. “I think [students and faculty] are more appreciative while I’ve been going here.” Despite Enos’ positive perspective, Seabury students tend to trend a little more pessimistically. Bryan does not think our community appreciates their services as much as we could. “It feels like we’re just leaving a lot of stuff lying around,” he says.
Echoing Bryan, Akoragye shares a similar sentiment. “I feel like we should find more ways to appreciate them,” he says. “I think we could make their work a bit easier, like picking up after ourselves.”
On the other hand, sophomore Sydney Walter thinks the Seabury community is generally grateful. “I think so. We had cards for them a couple of weeks ago,” she says.
Regarding the students’ willingness to maintain cleanliness, Walters has an optimistic opinion. “I think for the most part, yes, [Seabury is respectful towards cleanliness]. Obviously, middle schoolers can be a little messy. Stuff happens all the time,” she says.
On the other hand, Bryan thinks there could be more work to be done. “Like when you’re walking down the hallway. I’m having to jump around backpacks, or … trying to make space on a table to do homework in the Senior Lounge.”
Students of any age can probably recall Morning Meeting announcements from faculty, urging them to maintain a clean hallway, with hopes of no laptops thrown on the ground. One can reference Rios’ many threatening announcements regarding the state of the locker rooms, a common place for messes to occur.
Despite the students’ perceptions of potential shortcomings and messes, Enos has a mindset of compassion. “It’s not upsetting––it’s more understanding,” he says of his response to incidents. Citing an example of a vomiting incident in the bathroom, Enos felt concerned for the student. “We need to be more understanding. Instead of judging [a student], … maybe [their] stomach was upset? We don’t know.”
Enos’ emphasis on compassion should also reflect to the broader community. “I think it would be nice if the students knew [the janitors’] names better … instead of just seeing them every now and then,” she says. “We could greet them in the halls, and let them know we do appreciate them.”
Akoragye expresses a similar mindset. “I think we could make their work easier,” he says. “Like pick up after ourselves more.”
There is something to be said about Seabury’s awareness of our shortcomings. Whether we implement picking up the desks again or try to keep our spaces that much neater, the custodians would surely appreciate it.
Or, even just getting to know them could strengthen our relationships. “I like mixing with English more,” says Enos. Hailing all the way from the Philippines, Enos moved to the United States eight years ago. Outside of his job, Enos enjoys food. “I like to cook,” he says.
Ultimately, whether you are more aware of where you put your backpack, put your chair on your desk on Friday, or say a simple “thank you,” there are so many ways to show our appreciation to these hard-working individuals.
