In recent years, many organizations and political campaigns have shined light on the idea of keeping the environment clean and using sustainable energy sources. Schools across the nation have also been taking strides towards this goal.
At PV, the custodial staff consists of ten custodians who work either the day shift or the night one. Each custodian is assigned a certain part of the building to clean and maintain. Most of the heavy cleaning occurs during the night shift with emergency spot cleaning happening during the daytime.
Custodial Dan Simmons said the biggest way for students to help the custodians out would be to pick up after themselves. “Just picking up after yourself is the main thing. If you drop a piece of paper on the floor, pick it up and put it in the trash or the recycling and clean after yourself just as you would if you were at home,” Simmons stated.
To further achieve the environmentally friendly goal, many schools around the country have started student led clubs like Recycling and Environmental club to spread awareness and encourage environmentally friendly actions at school. At PV, some students are involved in Environmental Club.
Senior Solange Bolger is an avid member of the club who believes that being environmentally friendly should be a priority. She said, “The most important reason to be environmentally friendly is that you, your friends and your family are all living on the same earth as the youth. If we don’t take care of it, who will do it for us?”
The club aims to teach other students and faculty on how one can lower their carbon footprint and use less non biodegradable materials. The club has also volunteered in the community; they have raised money for the Living Lands and Waters by selling reusable water bottles.
Bolger believes even the smallest changes can make a difference in the way we treat our school environment. “Don’t use sporks that the school provides, encourage your teachers to not print out handouts that could be shared on Google Classroom, and if you want to recycle, bring it home,” Bolger said.
Not only does the cleanliness of the school relate to environmental changes, but it also involves keeping school clean from germs and bacteria.
Recent studies show a correlation between a clean school environment and its impact on the success of a student. Nearly 22 million school days are lost annually in the United States to the common cold because of the spread of germs in a school environment. When a school strives to keep their facilities clean, the amount of students absent from school is shown to decrease.
