SPRING HILL, Fla. — For students at Crews Lake Middle School in Pasco County a little fist bump goes a long way.
Plant Manager Jimmy Bishop and Custodian Randy LaBlanc spend just about every morning greeting kids as they get off the school bus.
"We wet the ground here so it gets the dirt off the shoes so it doesn't get in the buildings," Bishop says.
Bishop says a lot of the kids live on dirt roads and that dirt can tear up the floors in the buildings.
But, that's not what makes these two employees unique.
"Hey! Keep that hustle up you did good last night," says Bishop.
"You look tired. You get sleep? You going to be ready for the day? You sure? All right! Go get yourself some breakfast," LeBlanc says to another student.
It's the greeting that a lot of kids need to get their day started.
"They definitely make our day start off better than usual. It also encourages us during the day. Whenever we come in we just feel ready to go," 7th grader Alyssa Jameson says.
From the fist bumps to just saying hello, the two just want to take care of the students.
"I just want everyone to succeed. Everybody can do better than what they think. A lot of kids in this area think they aren't going to be anything but I try to motivate them that they can be anything they want to be. They just have to work for it. Nothing comes easy, you know. You have to work for it," explains Bishop.
Even if that means helping kids outside of the school.
"We'll see them in the classroom, in the hallways, on the courts. We'll see them after school. We'll give kids rides home. If they need clothes, shoes or something all they have to do is ask and we'll help out the way we can," says LeBlanc.
For these kids, it leaves a lasting impression.
"Every time in the morning, I go they give me a good vibe. That it's going to be alright," says 8th grader Michael Campbell.
"They're our future. If we don't invest time in it what else are we gonna do ya know?" LaBlanc says.
