Alpine School District celebrated National School Custodian Appreciation Day on Oct. 2, according to an Oct. 1 statement. The district recognized Head Custodian Chris Atherton of Lake Mountain Middle School and Head Custodian Kaden Kloeppel of Sage Hills Elementary for their commitment to student safety and school culture.
Chris Atherton serves as a campus first responder at Lake Mountain Middle School. Lake Mountain Middle Assistant Principal Joy Peterson noted that Atherton recently assisted a student during a shop class accident by bandaging the student and helping them get to the hospital. Beyond his custodial duties, Atherton also coaches basketball and maintains a relationship with the students.
At Sage Hills Elementary, Kaden Kloeppel was recognized for his active involvement in the school community. Sage Hills staff member Terri Rigby stated that Kloeppel goes beyond his standard responsibilities by building relationships with students during lunch and participating in faculty performances. Rigby also noted that Kloeppel often checks the building on his own time during weekends to ensure the facility is secure and handles difficult situations, such as campus floods, with an upbeat attitude.
The district stated that the dedicated work of these employees ensures that schools remain secure, operational, and welcoming environments for students to thrive.
