Led by Armando Bairos’s positive, can-do attitude, Algonquin’s custodial team works tirelessly for a safe and clean school in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Bairos, who oversees the outside contractor cleaning service, and the other custodial workers have been spraying the halls, rearranging classrooms and keeping the school a safe learning environment all while working hard to keep community members happy.

“I am here to help the students and interact with the students as much as I can,” Bairos said. “I am here to make everybody happy and make [Algonquin] a nice place to be.” 

The pandemic has taken its toll on many people, yet each day Bairos works to be helpful and kind, and his selfless acts do not go unnoticed. 

“Armando finds a way to make things happen with a positive attitude, and to motivate his peers around him,” Director of Facilities Mike Gorman said. “He does a really good job with that.”

The entire custodial and maintenance crew has focused on the health and safety of students. Gorman is proud of his staff and their actions to make an impact. 

“They all came together for one cause, and that cause was to make and maintain the school as safe as possible during the pandemic,” Gorman said. “We have all been here since day one; we have never missed many days. When the whole world was out, when the whole school shut down and no one was here for three months, we were here. We were doing what it took for the school to be maintained.”

Bairos, who has been working the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift at Algonquin for nearly 11 years, tries to make it a safer school each day.

“The sooner the better we can get back to normal again,” Bairos said. “It is not just the high school; it is hard to live in COVID-19. I hope this fear goes away at some point.”

According to Gorman, Bairos and his fellow custodians have been continuously putting others first and have done it all with a positive mindset, even in the face of new challenges each day. 

“We have to think of positive ways to keep teachers and students’ anxiety down,” Gorman said. “We want to make them feel safe… Their job is to teach, not to worry about different things. It is our job to make sure they have everything they need and it is seamless for them so they can give students the best education.”  

Planning to return to five in-person school days, Bairos looks forward to all students returning.

“I am very motivated and ready to go, to stop worrying and get everything back to normal,” Bairos said. “I will keep doing my job the best I can, and I come in with a positive attitude. I hope to see the students walking around the school happy again.”