It's hard not to notice the contributions of an entire team when watching a lavish Broadway show. There are actors, of course, but so many "behind the scenes" talents - set designers, directors, prop handlers, producers and many more - who collaborate to make the production possible. In our schools, too, there are so many who may not be "onstage" but contributed enormously to the entire operation. One outstanding example in the PW School District is Andy Waterson, head custodian at Weber Middle School, who has dedicated 30 years to the school district.

The soft-spoken Waterson said his goals are to "keep a clean and safe building." A typical day finds Waterson opening Weber at 5:30 a.m. Besides attending to repairs, he checks the building's exterior for safety purposes, hands out work assignments to other custodians, often assembles furniture, and then manages six lunch shifts, cleaning and readying the cafeteria for the next group of students. Next, Waterson tackles teachers' requests. At night, he sometimes must check back in. Much of Waterson's day, he said, is "crisis-oriented...For instance, we might get a delivery with 12 desks that need to be assembled.."

Open Houses, graduations, orientations, and other events present additional challenges and preparation. For evening events, he assists the night crew, who "have to get the building ready in four hours, instead of eight," Waterson explained. With characteristic modesty, he credits "the whole grounds, custodial, maintenance and transportation group working together to make things work."

This construction-filled summer, Waterson relates, was hectic. He had to attend to all construction-related problems. Readying areas for renovation meant emptying entire areas of the building. Because renovation was delayed, moving back all of the supplies, desks, file cabinets and the like had to be accomplished in a very compressed time period. With manpower from other buildings, Waterson said the last month of summer brought 12, 14 even 16 hour days to ready the school for an ontime opening. Eric Vonderhorst, director of buildings and grounds, observed, "This summer Andy gave direction to contractors and district staff. Without Andy there, directing, it would have been chaos."

Of al his many duties, what does Waterson like best? The answer is easy: He does it all for the children. "When I moved from Manorhaven to Weber, I knew many of the students, just entering the middle school. I think it was reassuring for them to see a friendly, familiar face," he said.

"I've lived here all my life," Waterson added. He attended Manorhaven School, Sousa Junior High and Schreiber High School. He lives here still. A member of the PW Fire Department for 25 years, Waterson is married to Beverly and their 24-year-old son Brian, is also a volunteer firefighter.

Eric Vonderhorst had nothing but the highest praise for Waterson. "He is the backbone of the building," he said. "He sets a standard for dedication and loyalty to the school district. He goes above and beyond on a regular basis to provide a clean and safe environment for our students and staff." Dr. Geoffrey N. Gordon, superintendent of schools, echoed Director Vonderhorst's comments. He added, "The extra effort of employees like Andy Waterson is what permitted our school district to open on time this fall. I want to especially commend Andy and all of our custodians who worked so diligently on behalf of our students and district."