Jamestown’s Unseen Family 

Every day, students flood the hallways, teachers lock their doors, and the school seems to empty, but not completely. Long after everyone else leaves, another group remains: the janitors. 

Whenever people talk about them, it’s usually the same way. They’re deserving of more than they get, or they need better pay. For our ghostlike staff, all of that is true, but I offer of perspective of them worth recognizing At first glance, a janitor’s job is exactly what we expect: sweep the floors and take out the trash and pick up that garbage and oops, someone spewed out their lunch, just task upon task of our waste left to them.  

To the high school janitor though, there’s more to everyday than the same old canisters and hallways to clean. Many describe it like driving familiar roads pass the same places every day, but occasionally, something meaningful happens along the way. Getting to speak to many janitors from both Jamestown and Lafayette, I found that about three-fourths of them had a belief that students and staff have a deep appreciation for them, in contrast to the common outsider belief that they don’t get the recognition they deserve.  

However, that doesn’t mean appreciation should stop there. It also doesn’t mean that a single appreciation week or a large celebration is the greatest gift we can give. The truth goes deeper than that. 

Among all the stories of a janitor’s stamina shared, one stood out. 

Mrs. Theresa, one of our own Janitors at Jamestown described her experience much like the others. She mentioned things like gum ending up where it shouldn’t be or the request that people just pickup after yourself. Though when asked if there was ever a moment when she felt especially recognized or valued, she gave a heartfelt response.  

In summary, she mentioned there was once a girl, a student like anyone else. This girl was always coming out of the art halls and passing Mrs. Theresa by, unlike most, this student took the time to acknowledge her. Sometimes it was just a “hello.” Other times, she asked how her day was going. There were no gifts, no big gestures, no grand sayings of appreciation, just consistent kindness. 

It was enough.  

That small effort made Mrs. Theresa feel seen in a way that no organized event could replicate. It was a reminder that appreciation doesn’t have to be loud to be meaningful. 

As students, it’s easy to expect adults to keep giving without asking for anything in return. And while we aren’t obligated to repay kindness, we should recognize it. That left Mrs. Theresa feeling seen in a deeper way than any appreciation week could do. That care can be as small as a friendship or as big as a smile. To some, it means the world.  

P.S. To the students who treat bathrooms and hallways carelessly: many janitors are begging you to do your business and to not destroy our school. That can be done with sand at the beach if you need to but have some respect for those who pick up every icky thing behind you.

Written by: Dristan Groupe

Edited by: Austin Nguyen – Mathias Munoz Gonzalez – Harrison Davies