ROCHELLE — Rochelle Township High School Principal Chris Lewis called a staff meeting in the auditorium last week, a common enough occurrence, but this particular meeting included non-certified staff (support, paras, and custodians).

‘What new COVID-19 protocols were we in for now,’ was a question on everyone’s mind. Meetings, protocols, changes to protocols and more meetings have pretty much defined the 2020-21 school year.

On the ground floor of all those protocol changes is the custodial staff, transforming themselves into cleaning ninjas and germ busters, keeping the campus clear of the coronavirus in addition to all of the usual building and grounds maintenance.

So it is no wonder Lewis’ audience burst into cheers and applause when he awarded the Illinois Principal’s Association Non-certified Personnel Leadership award to Angie Simms, a lifelong Rochelle Hub and a member of our custodial staff since 2014.

“I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for nominating me for the leadership award,” Simms said. “It is both exciting and humbling to be recognized for such an honor. I can tell you I was completely caught off guard and very much surprised when Mr. Lewis called my name. This school year has definitely been an interesting one to say the least, but we have all pulled together and made the best of it and for that I think we all deserve an extra pat on the back and a round of applause.”