Everyday, we walk through the hallways of Arcadia High School (AHS) and we see them spotless and clean. We walk into our classrooms and experience a pristine environment with shiny floors and an all-around gleaming atmosphere. At lunchtime, we’re welcomed with abundant hot meals prepared up to the smallest of details. But do we ever really stop and say thanks to the custodians and cafeteria staff of AHS?

There are so many responsibilities these employees face every day. They do jobs from cleaning and scrubbing the floors and walls of every building to taking out the trash from every single trash can at AHS. Even with these duties, they always ensure the health and safety of every student at our school. 

Not only are there the custodians of AHS who put in the hard work and hours to keep up our school’s look and feel, the cafeteria employees prepare and serve every meal, and also clean up after the students when they’re done eating their lunch. They always have an arrangement of items for every kid to pick out what they’d like to eat that day, which are not only fresh and ready in time, but also unique and delicious to eat. The process of making these foods takes constant work, such as cutting up vegetables, preparing various foods by hand, and operating appliances and equipment needed to cook food. After juggling so many things, every employee still manages to create a meal that will keep every student happy and full after lunch hour.

“Sometimes after lunch, I see a bunch of lunch trays and trash laying on the floor and it’s really hard and sad to see. I try to do my part in helping out with the things I see but again, It’s so easy to throw away your trash instead of leaving it so someone else has to pick up after you,” said junior Paula Eccleston. “I hope as the years go on, people start realizing that they should have more respect for custodians and the cafeteria employees and show them as much appreciation as they give for other teachers and staff.”

With their roles, they have such an impactful effect on our school’s environment. This includes the actual physical environment, how kept up our atmosphere really is, and how their actions impact students mentally. A clean school environment heavily contributes to the ways students succeed in their high school careers and what they can actually pursue in clean surroundings. With the good conditions students experience everyday at AHS, the cafeteria employees also provide the needed nutrients and nourishment that students need to get through the day feeling healthy and doing their best. 

“Well, it’s evident that there is a lack of respect for the custodians. Because of so many students who should throw their own trash away and make their jobs easier, they just don’t do it,” said senior Jake Chung.

So many kids at AHS constantly forget, and even ignore, what these workers do everyday just to provide a positive impact on our lives. We take their labor for granted and never really appreciate the work they have done for us during our high school years. We never sit down and realize how different our days at school would be if we did not have these people to fuel our knowledge and help out in ways that give back to everyone. They work long hours with barely any recognition because people see it as unimportant. Just like the teachers and other office staff that also provide students with the things they need, custodians and cafeteria staff deserve the same appreciation and respect for the big things they do all the time.

There are simple ways students and other members of AHS can show their appreciation towards these important people. You can simply just say “thank you” when you see them in the hallways or around school or even greet them in a friendly manner that would for sure make their day better. You can even write appreciation letters addressed to them showing your gratitude for the hard work they do.

 “Just throwing trash away could help out the custodians and cafeteria employees, but people can’t even do that and it’s a huge problem,” said Chung.

For AHS as a whole, we can go even further than this. There are opportunities for larger plans, such as an all-day appreciation day for the staff that are underlooked. An even better proposal would be to host a school-wide appreciation event, where we personally thank the staff that don’t get the credit they deserve.

“Link Crew cafeteria dinner, students aren’t mindful of their actions usually, especially at lunch. But personally, I don’t think we really treat them worse than teachers,” said senior Natalie Huang. “Then again, people just leave messes and trash everywhere when they could simply just make the lives of the employees way easier.”

So the next time you see our custodians around school, tending to their duties, or if you’re getting the school lunch and paying a visit to the cafeteria employees, thank them for their hard work and let them know that they are appreciated by the students of AHS.