Parents of school children deal regularly with teachers and administrators, but school custodians may not get as much attention.
That’s not the case at Washington Irving School, 1125 S. Cuyler Ave., Oak Park. Custodian Frank DiPaolo is his school’s jack of all trades, and master of most. That has gotten DiPaolo status as one of 10 finalists for Cintas’ Corporation’s National Custodian of the Year Award, which will announce a winner after voting concludes April 15.
“Obviously, with everything going on, you’re involved with the kids,” said DiPaolo, a two-decade veteran of Washington Irving. (Custodians) see them every day, get a relationship with the kids. We don’t just clean the buildings. We like to participate in different activities with the kids, get to know the kids.
“Especially with COVID, things are changing constantly. You move stuff out, move stuff in. There was more work for custodians, but we wanted to make it safe and clean. It was a big challenge. We wanted to make sure school was ready to open, with new (social distancing) and seating. When they came to school, they had no worries.”
Said Principal John Hodge: “He put down red dots six feet apart to line up at the drinking fountains. No aspect was overlooked. We had minimal COVID cases. This was our fourth week of no cases.”
But DiPaolo isn’t just getting recognition for literally walking every inch of the school with Hodge to ensure classroom learning could resume even amid the pandemic.
He has become an ex-officio teachers’ aide and hallway counselor to students of all grades. DiPaolo has made a particular impact on the special education students.
“It’s a passion for me,” he said. “The kids see me and talk to me. When I pop into this classroom, I sit down with them with different projects. It brings a smile to my face. I interact with them with puzzles and board games. Any help I can assist with them, along with the specialists and TAs (teaching assistants), I’ll do.”
When DiPaolo enters special-ed teacher Megan Vella’s class for kindergarteners and first graders, “they jump at him…their eyes light up,” said Vella. “They see Frank in his whole getup; he’s got a special place with them.
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“Most are non-verbal. It’s like they have their non-verbal communication with Frank. He does a plethora of things. He keeps my kids safe. He gently reminds kids to keep their masks on and wash hands. Every single day they want to clean the tables. They love that idea – a job they can do with him. They thrive on structure.”
A Northwest Side resident, DiPaolo began his custodian’s career at Longfellow School in Oak Park in 1995. He moved on to Julian Middle School before becoming perhaps Washington Irving’s most indispensable employee.
“We have Frank do all kinds of things,” said Hodge. “He contributes so much to our school’s culture and climate with his interactions with everyone. His volunteering at school events creates that inclusion and belonging.”
When his students move on, even graduate college, they come back to visit DiPaolo.
“Time has gone by quickly in this district,” he said. “I ask them when they come back to visit what things you remember about Irving school, like sleepovers and fun fairs. I smile when they said they enjoyed coming to Irving. They had a great experience.”
Some of those alumni may want to vote for DiPaolo for the custodian award. Through April 15, votes are being taken at custodianoftheyear.com.
“We received over 2,200 exceptional nominations, and it was a challenge to narrow it down to only 10 finalists,” said Christiny Betsch, marketing manager of Cintas. “This contest continues to prove that custodians play a significant role in school communities across the country and have lasting, positive impacts on students and staff.”
The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize along with $5,000 in products and services for his or her school from Cintas and Rubbermaid Commercial Products. The winner’s school will also receive a training, development and consulting package from ISSA, The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, valued at $30,000 and enrollment in the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Fundamentals On-line Course.