TX HS Swim Team Mounts Swim-a-Thon to Buoy ‘Beloved Custodian’ Who Fell Ill – RedState
School custodians are the invisible and often unsung heroes of education, and no school could survive without them.
In schools across the country, custodians do much more than keep campuses clean. Earlier this year, for example, Andy Markus, a guard from Utah, was named National Education Support Professional of the Year by the National Education Association for his mentoring, which improved students’ behavior and academic engagement.
And when tutors stay at a school for years, they develop expertise and institutional knowledge that can prove invaluable, school leaders say. But schools often struggle to retain these employees, in part because of low salaries.
According to Zip Recruiter, the median average salary for most guards is around $35,000 per year. It’s not a lot, especially if you have a family and live in or around a neighborhood with high rents. So when students at a high school in Richardson, Texas, discovered their trusted and beloved guardian was suffering from a prolonged illness, this North Dallas County community went above and beyond to help him get back on his feet.
The power of consistent influence is the topic of this week’s Feel-Good Friday.
Swimmers from JJ Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas, are hosting a marathon swim to benefit their beloved goalie.
The power of community led to something good for a school principal at JJ Pearce High School in Richardson ISD.
The swim team learned that their goalie, Mr. Le, was ill. He had been absent for eight weeks due to a health problem. And the teenagers wanted to help. Within a week, they organized a swimming marathon to raise money for him.
Despite depictions of nefarious or drunken guards in television and film, this position truly (and should) commands respect. Just like administrative and teaching staff, tutors are highly selected and made up of trustworthy people who probably look after your children better than the principal and some teachers. As Mr. Le’s story shows, they also tend to have great relationships with the student body. So much so that JJ Pearce’s students immediately sprung into action for Mr Le in a most innovative way. This is a powerful testament not only to the caliber of Mr. Le, but also to the caliber of the students who populate the school. (emphasis added)
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For more than an hour on Jan. 16, the students swam nonstop, covering more than 4,000 meters, with each lap dedicated to helping their beloved guardian, who was always there for them with a smile and a high-five.
At the end of the swim-a-thon, Mr. Le arrived at the natatorium to a huge surprise. They raised over $17,000!
And there was more. Coach Eric Ewing shared the good news: they had also given Mr. Le a new car and a new bicycle to help him get to work.
He had walked or cycled an hour each way to work.
Mr. Le is blessed not only by the generosity of the gifts, but also by the love and respect of the students, as well as the support of the school community. You can’t put a price on that.
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Editor’s note: At RedState, it’s not just about politics and politics. We love to bring attention to what’s good in the world, with features like “Feel-Good Friday,” “Start Your Weekend Right” and “Hoge’s Heroes.”
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