He walks the halls with purpose, always on his way to check out some other part of the building. Leading the WS custodial team, building supervisor Russel Wade is constantly working to make sure the building is clean and safe.
“I like [my job] because I’m able to do the things that [are] meaningful to the staff, students and parents,” said Wade.
Wade formerly served on the US Air Force and the New York police force. He continues his commitment to service at WS by taking care of problems in the school building during the day and staying late to lock it up at night. Wade is the head of the custodial staff and ensures building security.
“I talk to the custodians about what we should do to try to make it comfortable for the teachers, because they have to be here for seven hours,” said Wade.
Wade also actively serves the community outside of school. For the past ten years, he has been a member of the Masonic Society—a group that focuses on brotherhood and community service. He spent the weekend before Thanksgiving providing Thanksgiving meals for people in need with the Masons.
At WS, however, not everyone respects the work Wade puts in to keep the building clean.
“Teenagers do crazy things, like put [feces] in the bathroom in the middle of the floor… Or they write on the wall [in feces] with their finger,” said Wade.
Students often litter the hallways and bathrooms without a second thought about who’s cleaning up after them.
“They won’t look up to them when they’re near us asking to pick up trash…they’ll just brush them off,” said senior Raquel Ferra on how students treat the custodians at lunch.
Many students agree that though the custodians do a stellar job keeping our school clean and comfortable, they are not properly recognized for their efforts.
“I think they’re a really important part of our school…and people really underestimate how much they do for us,” said freshman Madi Howard.
Some students have suggested taking special measures to ensure that the custodians know that they are appreciated, such as making posters expressing gratitude.
“We should have a day off school that is dedicated just to custodians…in celebration of their work,” said junior Miles Krein.
Spartans can also show their appreciation for what Wade and the custodial staff do for WS by simply respecting the school building.
“Don’t mess up the bathrooms, clean up after yourself, that sort of thing,” said sophomore Andrew Davis.
Wade said that his favorite part of his job is when teachers recognize the hard work he puts in.
“They recognize…what the custodians do,” said Wade. And they might not do it right after we do it. At a later date, they may say, ‘Thank you.’”