Keeping the school clean is not a task for school staff alone. By helping to keep your school tidy, you will begin to be proud of its appearance and gain valuable experience taking care of your environment. Whether you choose to do small daily chores or participate in a larger cleaning initiative, you can always help keep your school clean!
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Follow Daily Cleaning Habits
Step 1. Rub your shoes on the carpet before entering the school building
Dirt, dust and leaves can be introduced from students' shoes, soiling the floors. Do your part to prevent this from happening by cleaning your shoes before entering.
- If there are no doormats, lightly scrub your feet on the sidewalk before entering.
- Ask the Headmaster to have doormats at the school entrance if there aren't any. Offer to start a fundraiser to buy them if the school does not have resources available to use in this regard.
Step 2. Throw away any garbage you see around in the bins
A candy paper that has fallen out of your pocket may seem like a trifle but, over time, garbage and trash can build up making the school messy. If you notice someone has dropped something, pick it up and throw it away.
- If you see a used handkerchief or something dirty on the ground, pick it up with a napkin so you don't touch it with your hands.
- Encourage your friends to follow your example by picking up the trash when they see it.
Step 3. Recycle paper, glass and plastic
Recycling helps reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in the landfill, so by doing so, you help the environment and keep the school clean at the same time.
If your school does not participate in a recycling program, suggest that your teachers or the Principal start one
Step 4. Put things back after using them
If you grab a book from a shelf in your classroom or use a microscope in the science lab, be sure to put them back when you're done using them. Leaving things lying around makes classrooms chaotic and cluttered.
Step 5. Make sure the cafeteria table is clean before you leave
Do not leave milk cartons, crumpled napkins or food scraps on the table. Put the chairs back on the table when you leave and remember to check that nothing has fallen on the floor.
Step 6. Clean up spilled liquids immediately
If you drop a drink, wipe the floor immediately. Use paper towels or ask a teacher if there is a rag you can use to mop the floor.
Step 7. Take care not to damage the school furnishings
Sometimes, teachers display student work such as models, drawings or science projects in various settings in the school. If you see them, take care not to bump or drop them as they could make a big mess.
Method 2 of 2: Organize a Cleaning Event
Step 1. Ask school officials for permission to organize a cleaning event
Organize an event at your school where groups of students, teachers and even parents help clean up the school environment. It can take place during the lunch break, at the end of the lessons or at the weekend.
- Go to the secretariat and ask the officials to make an appointment with the Headmaster to talk to him about the organization of the event. Prepare notes in advance about the specific goals you set out to achieve.
- For example, you might say, "We'd like to organize a group of students to come to school on a Saturday to collect garbage in the yard and wash the windows in the classrooms."
- Before the meeting, ask teachers and students to sign a petition in support of the initiative.
Step 2. Prepare the cleaning products
If your school already has products on hand, you may want to borrow them for your cleaning event. Otherwise, you may need to start a fundraiser in order to purchase the products you need. Depending on what you decide to clean, you will need the following:
- Rubber gloves;
- Detergents / bleaches;
- Rags;
- Garbage bags;
- Duvets for dusting;
- Toilet brushes;
- Gardening equipment.
Step 3. Advertise the event
If your initiative is approved, ask if you can distribute flyers to advertise it. You could also inform others at an assembly or during announcements before class.
- Don't underestimate the power of word of mouth. Ask your friends to help you find other students interested in participating.
- Try something like, “Hey, some of us are meeting on Saturday to clean up the school. After we think about going for a pizza together. Would you like to come and help?”.
Step 4. Organize students into groups on the day of the event
Assign a task to each group. This way, no one will remain idle or clean where others have already cleaned.
For example, you could assign one group to erase the marker writing from the bathroom walls, while another group pulls the weeds from the yard and sweeps the outside area
Step 5. Focus on cleaning areas that are often overlooked
There is no need to spend the entire cleaning event doing tasks that school employees already do on a regular basis. Spend most of your time doing jobs you don't often do, such as dusting chairs in the lecture hall or the tops of lockers.
If you like, you could ask for permission to plant flowers outside, for example in a flower bed near the school entrance
Step 6. Do the cleaning respecting the safety rules
While cleaning, be sure to carefully read and follow the instructions on the packaging of the products you use. Wear rubber gloves while using chemicals like bleach.
To avoid getting sick or infected, avoid touching handkerchiefs when emptying bins. Put on disposable gloves or wash your hands with soap and water after you're done
Step 7. Create an association to periodically repeat the event
If the event is successful, consider asking for permission to create an association of students who will periodically clean up the school. You could meet once a week, every day for lunch, or just once every quarter or quarter, depending on what needs to be done and the frequency of the event as approved by the Headmaster.
