Dirty Jobs: How BSWs Make Our School Shine

Rachel Shaw, Senior Writer

October 3rd was Building Service Worker Appreciation Day, our school is filled with amazing, kind, and hardworking service workers, who put in their dedication to make sure this school is clean and a healthy environment. They always know how to put a smile on our faces when seeing us in the hallway and want to build a strong community in the school. 

I asked our one and only, Mr. Mills (Manager of the Building Service Workers) some questions about his time working here at LHS, because Mr. Mills is loved all around the school, and very well known. I asked Mr. Mills, “how long have you been working here at LHS.” He answered, “ I have been at LHS for about four years and have been the manager for about two years, I began as manager during the COVID season, so it was a little bit different and more difficult than I was used to.” 

Our building service workers always show the hard work around the school not only physically with our clean floors, but also with their generosity. These workers definitely deal with a lot around the school, so you may wonder, what keeps them motivated in this school community. Well, I asked Mr. Mills and his good friend Mr. Fenwick and both of their answers included “keeping the students and staff in the school happy”, both of their goals were to put a smile on the students faces, which shows how selfless they are. Mr. Fenwick is often seen around the school, he has been working here about 24 years, and has loved the school ever since.” You never see him without a smile in the hallways, which automatically can make students feel welcomed. 

I asked both workers if they feel close and connected to the school, Mr. Mills stated “I do, with Leonardtown High being a central location you get to see a lot of community use within the building, and we can build relationships right off of that.” Mr. Fenwick said, “Yes, I love coming to work every day and seeing everyone.” 

Building service workers should be appreciated every day, we as the school are blessed to have these hard workers, and be able to come to school every day with a clean building that we can feel comfortable in. They deserve endless love and appreciation, so after reading this article I hope you can see how truly important they are. Next time you see them in the hallways, tell them thank you, and give them a smile, they work hard to keep your school clean.