Kids learn from Tulalip custodian’s book

Published 10:23 pm Tuesday, March 30, 2010

TULALIP — Custodians arrive at schools and unlock gates and doors. They load carts with cleaning supplies to keep a tidy workplace.

Read about maintenance jobs in a new children’s book called “The Happy Custodian.”

Author Frank Rivas, a custodian at Tulalip Elementary School in the Marysville School District, is an old friend. We played darts together some 20 years ago.

I was tickled to learn his work has been published.

Raised in Mount Vernon, he studied in a food program at Everett Community College and ran a chain of restaurants, Mexico Cafe, around Everett and Snohomish with his family.

Frank got his school job about 15 years ago.

A couple of years back, faced with budget cuts and the potential loss of workers, custodial manager Joann Limb said they formed a committee of staff members, including Richard Belisle, Joyce Burling, Matthew Edgerton, Nicole Fagerlie, Sue Holland, Dwayne Paull, Dale Soden, Becky Taylor, Limb and Frank.

“We were really in a spiral down as far as attitudes,” Limb said. “I was trying to keep the staff positive.”

The team talked about ways to let children know how important maintenance work is to campuses.

Someone suggested they write a children’s book.

Frank, 49, stepped up to the creative challenge.

He wrote the “The Happy Custodian” and presented it to the group. Everyone added their ideas and editing, Limb said. Custodian Sue Holland drew whimsical pictures to capture children’s imaginations in vivid colors and Limb did scrapbook-style illustrations.

Day custodian Dwayne Paull at Cedarcrest Middle School suggested they add a flying American flag to the school on the first page of the book.

Done.

Heidi Johnsen, director of categorical programs, did the sales footwork. Marysville Rotary kindly provided a $4,000 grant to get the book printed. Three copies were given to each first- and second-grade class in the district.

To buy a $35 copy, call 360-657-0202.

Frank is married to Leanne, a first-grade teacher at Cascade Elementary School. Their kids are Ryan, 26, and Elisha, 24, who was born with spina bifida.

Frank started writing books to amuse his children. His first book was about what a big brother would do for a sister with special needs.

“Raising a handicapped child, you see siblings coping,” he said. “I started playing with that.”

After the deaths of his parents several years ago, Frank said he went into a deep depression. He was asked to read a book aloud to a classroom called “Mr. Grumpy.”

“Depression was probably making me look grumpy,” Frank said. “Writing helped me get out of the dumps.”

In his book, the custodian talks to a sad student and brightens her day.

Teamwork makes the school sparkle.

There is a list of vocabulary words for children to study, including supplies, recycling, garbage, scattered, intercom and responsible.

Kids may giggle at the picture of a school bathroom, littered with waste paper, but they soon learn through the book about keeping their school clean.

It shows the importance of the custodial staff, Limb said. None of her employees were laid off last year, she added, but they are waiting to see what happens this year when cuts are announced.

At this point, workers are keeping a positive attitude, she said.

Frank’s face brightens when he discusses possibilities for the book. He said the happy custodian could meet Handy Manny, a kid’s TV show character on Playhouse Disney.

Handy Manny works with talking tools to keep a neighborhood in tip-top shape.

“The book teaches kids to appreciate something and keep their school clean,” Frank said. “I would like to see it in every school around the country.”

Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.