On April 28th, our middle school celebrated a very special birthday—our daytime custodian, Mr. Claude Hard.
Claude helps keep our school clean, organized, and running smoothly every day, and both students and staff truly appreciate all he does.
To celebrate, students signed a large birthday card with kind messages, and some also contributed toward a gift card since Claude enjoys hunting and fishing.
During lunch, 7th grader Maci Osborne read a heartfelt letter to Mr. Hard in front of everyone, sharing how much he is valued and appreciated by our school community.To read her kind words that show just how much our students appreciate Claude, please see below.
“Hey everyone, can I have your attention for a minute?
I know lunch is usually loud and everyone’s talking, but I’m just asking for a little bit of your time—because this matters.
I want you to think about something for a second. Think about how many days we’ve walked into this school… how many mornings you’ve come in tired, thinking about tests, friends, sports, or whatever is going on in your life.
And every single one of those days, everything was already taken care of.
The floors were clean. The classrooms were ready. Everything just worked.
And most of us never stopped to ask why. We never really thought about the person behind all of it.
But there is someone. Mr. Claude.
And the thing is—it’s not just what he does. It’s who he is.
Because if you really think about it, you start to notice the small things. Like how he’s always outside in the morning saying “good morning” to students as they walk in. Some people smile back. Some people are too tired. Some people don’t even notice.
But he still says it. Every single day.
And that says everything.
Because it’s easy to be kind when people respond. It’s easy to be kind when people are paying attention. But it takes a different kind of person to keep showing that same kindness even when no one notices.
And then the day goes on.
Hundreds of us walk through the halls. Classrooms get messy. People leave things behind. The day ends, and we all go home without thinking twice.
But he doesn’t.
He cleans. He fixes. He takes care of everything so that the next morning, we can come back to a place that feels normal again.
Most of the time, nobody sees that part. Nobody thanks him for it in that moment.
But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter.
Because the truth is—it matters more than we realize.
It’s the reason this school feels put together. It’s the reason it feels welcoming. It’s the reason we can walk in every day and just focus on being students.
When you really think about it, imagine being the person who does all of that—showing up early, staying late if needed, doing the work that keeps everything running. Not for attention. Not for recognition. But just because you care.
That’s who Mr. Claude is.
Even if we don’t always say it, we feel it. We feel the difference he makes. We feel the kindness he brings. We feel that this school is better because he’s here.
So today isn’t just about a birthday.
It’s about making sure that, for once, he hears what people don’t always say out loud.
Mr. Claude… you matter here. More than you probably realize.
Thank you for every early morning. Thank you for every “good morning.” And thank you for everything you do—even the things we don’t always see.
This school wouldn’t feel the same without you.
Happy Birthday.”
It was a great way to celebrate someone who does so much for our school. Thanks again Claude, you truly are the heart and soul of our middle school.
