Cape High administration leads by example

As the bell dings and students rush out of the cafeteria, leaving behind scraps of food and stains on the tables, an odd yet compassionate event takes place. The administration team of Cape Coral High School stays behind to wipe down tables and clean the cafeteria alongside the custodial staff.

When school first began in August, there were a lot of concerns surrounding the health of students and the implementation of new COVID-19 safety procedures. However, the administration team at Cape High took it upon themselves to step up to the challenge. Everyone on the team, from Principal Christian Engelhart to Assistant Principals Jana Holcomb, Leslie Cornwell, and Marla Wunderlich, has been contributing, whether it be through cleaning cafeteria tables, monitoring the halls, or handing out masks.

“Student safety is our biggest concern, so anything that we can do to help out and to help our staff, we’re going to do,” Cornwell said.

“As a team, you have to do any part that is needed,” Engelhart said.

The staff works together cohesively to get the job done. “I think that our staff is a team, and just like teachers are cleaning classrooms for the safety of the students, we are cleaning the cafeteria for the safety of the students,” Cornwell said.

All five members of the administration team are parents and have plenty of experience with cleaning up after children. “To be honest, it doesn’t bother me at all,” Cornwell said. “We’re all parents, all five of us are parents, so this isn’t something new. We have a good time while we’re doing it, and we get to talk and bring as much fun as we can into it.”

The staff members hope that in the future, students will help out like they are doing now. “To me, I think that it is important for all leaders to lead first by example of how they do things,” Engelhart said.

The administration team always aspires to be role models for students. “I would hope kids, as they mature, would look back and appreciate the opportunities that they were given, look back on staff members and see what they did to make their life better,” Wunderlich said.

Even though these acts of kindness are small, they help immensely during these trying times. Even though the students may not realize it, the administration team is trying to help out in any way that they can.

“It’s always good to be kind,” Wunderlich said.