COVID-19 has altered sanitary and hygiene procedures throughout all aspects of society. This has left many wondering how schools are keeping the school clean and students safe.
The Pleasant Valley High School administration has had to enforce new rules to keep everyone safe. health and safety guidelines. Principal Darren Erickson is very conscientious of the pandemic and the risks it poses.. He is eager to follow the rules put in place for the school. “Each desk is supposed to be cleaned using a stronger cleaner than always used in the past,” said Erickson.
Additionally Erickson discussed the ways teachers are upholding safety precautions. “Staff have been provided the same cleaner, towels and gloves, and we have asked if they could do desks at least once during their day-either during their prep period or before leaving for lunch,” Erickson commented. Teachers were also given hand sanitizers in hopes it will reduce the spread of the virus.
Touchpoints, which are things such as door handles and desks, are another important focus for administrators and custodians.
Erickson commented on the frequency of which classrooms were being cleaned, claiming each classroom was being cleaned nightly, with much of the focus going towards touch points. “We have had some cases in which items like vacuuming have had to be postponed a day to ensure all classrooms have the touchpoints done,” said Erickson.
Additionally, Mr. Larsen, a daytime custodian, spends much of his workday sanitizing door handles of classrooms, entrances and exits, water fountains, the Commons, the cafeteria and other touch points in higher traffic areas in the building.
The administration is determined to keep the school clean, but do students think they are doing enough?
Bobby McClimon, a senior at Pleasant Valley, does not feel unsafe while in the building. “I feel like the administration is doing a good job of keeping the school clean,” shared McClimon.
McClimon feels safe in the school, but is there anything he would change if he could?
While McClimon feels safe in the school, and does not know of anything he would change about the cleaning procedures, having commented: “I think the school is doing everything they can given the circumstances.”
Given the current situation, the administration and custodial staff have been working tirelessly to ensure a clean school environment where teachers and students feel safe.
