By Foo Le Xuan Shanice (25S03A) and Teo Hui Sian (25S06C)

12th February – it’s been approximately two weeks after the school and its student population celebrated Chinese New Year. Yet, lo hei sets are scattered across several canteen tables, exactly 10 – enough for about 70 of RI’s custodians.  

This year, Raffles Community Advocates revived a long-standing tradition: a lo hei session held for the school’s custodians and support staff – a show of appreciation for the work they do for the students, staff, and anyone who steps into the school compound. 

An event like this hasn’t taken place in 5 years due to the pandemic – and a gathering of almost all of RI’s support staff in one place is extremely rare, the custodians tell us.

“We mostly work alone… we have different shifts, at different places around the school. We don’t get to see each other.” – one custodian explains. Yet, this lack of interaction doesn’t seem to affect the custodian’s conversation at the table. They seem to share a certain sense of camaraderie, chatting like relatives would at a Chinese New Year gathering – the conversation flows easily, and they discuss Toto winning numbers while telling stories of how long they’ve worked here.

Their years of service range widely – from four years to an incredible forty – having witnessed the induction and graduation of dozens of student batches.

However, while the conversation is lively, the food delectable, and the break a welcome respite, it isn’t enough to take their minds off their jobs. One custodian, who made her way here from the Y1-4 canteen, worries about an overflowing stack of plates while she’s not there to clear them. Another leaves early, clearing his own paper plate before quietly leaving. “I should go back”, he tells the others at his table. 

And all the while, the Y5-6 canteen vendors linger in the background of the performance, behind their stalls, some taking orders and others watching the performance. For them, time off is simply not possible.

There’s no denying the tremendous effort that went into this year’s custodian lo hei celebration. The programme is an hour long – and thoughtful, no less. In fact, in addition to entertainment, the performance of iconic CNY melodies also spotlighted the talent of custodian Ms. Ho Wei Lee, who played the cello alongside students Low Peng Guan (25S06C) and Chen You’An (25S06J). 

But even so, it’s difficult to give our custodians the full appreciation they deserve – especially when it’s confined to just one hour a year, and when so many of them find it difficult to prioritise themselves over the students and their jobs.

It wasn’t always like this. In fact, the annual lo hei celebration was once part of a broader series of initiatives – including the Homeground carnival – that aimed to honour the quiet strength of those who keep our school running. Up till these events went on hiatus during the pandemic, they offered rare opportunities for our support staff to be acknowledged and celebrated – moments of pause, community, and recognition in an otherwise routine year. 

Still, most, if not all of these efforts were led by CCAs such as Raffles Community Advocates or other student-initiated groups, with limited involvement from the wider student population. 

Current events are small in scale, with participation limited to those who choose to sign up. Ironically, this means that those who might not already see the value in showing appreciation are left without the opportunity to interact with, understand, and grow gratitude for the very people who keep our environment running. 

This naturally raises a question: how much more could the rest of us – students and staff alike – be doing?

Whose responsibility is it?

With the school’s reach and resources, there is an argument that school administration ought to expand these acts of appreciation into school-wide efforts. What if these events weren’t simply short-term gestures but rather part of a lasting school culture of gratitude for those who keep our school running every day? 

It’s easy to become numb to the effort that goes into maintaining the spaces we move through every day, which makes it all the more important for the school to consider engaging the wider student body in acts of appreciation. When platforms like these are made consistent and official by the school administration, they become embedded in the student population’s values.

But students hold power too, and there’s an argument to be made that the responsibility to appreciate our custodian falls on us. After all, creating a culture of gratitude doesn’t require permission – only intention. And when students take the lead, they set a precedent that others can follow.

Instead of waiting for the school administration to lead the charge, students could take the initiative to start these events, sustain them, and broaden their reach. Many of the appreciation efforts that exist today, like the custodian lo hei, were born from student-led groups. In fact, when appreciation comes from peers rather than top-down mandates, it often feels more sincere and personal.

Overall, there isn’t a single person or group solely responsible for building a culture of appreciation. It’s a shared journey. Both students and staff have roles to play, and both can do more. What matters most is that someone begins – and others follow. Traditions like these fade not because of ill intent, but because no one steps in to carry them forward. 

What can we do now?

For those of us graduating at the end of the year, organising a large event might not be realistic – but effort doesn’t have to be grand to be meaningful. We can start appreciating our custodians in many small ways.

Sometimes, it’s as simple as honouring the most basic responsibilities. A canteen auntie tells us that students could be more mindful when returning their trays – stacking plates properly, scraping off leftover food more carefully. 

Other times, it’s about being more aware of the custodians’ workload and choosing not to add unnecessarily to it. Keeping shared spaces clean, avoiding needless mess, and taking a moment to consider who’s cleaning up after you – these are small ways we can lighten someone else’s burden.

Appreciation isn’t just something we feel – it’s something we practice. While discussions often revolve around who should initiate these efforts, the real change begins when we individuals take proactive steps. Without action, appreciation remains a concept rather than a catalyst for positive change.

 If each of us commits to one small act of appreciation, together we create a lasting impact – one that will echo in the corridors long after we’ve gone.