Staff Spotlight: Joy Haluptzok, Head Custodian, Northpoint Elementary

Joy Haluptzok loves her job, but admits she is still getting used to her new role. She was named head custodian at Northpoint Elementary prior to the start of this school year after serving for ten years as a custodian at both Westwood Intermediate School and Northpoint.

"Yes, I always wanted to one day become a head custodian. I love a challenge." She said she's always been a part of predominantly male work places, having worked the past ten years on school custodial crews as well as construction work. She also once owned a painting business.

"There's no such thing as a typical day in the life of a busy school building," she said, a few minutes after helping to overseeing a scheduled school-wide lockdown drill. "Boilers need to be monitored, electrical and plumbing issues arise."

She said each school has its own personality. "You get to know the equipment. You learn to know if something is a little off with a boiler just by listening to its sounds."

A school that serves students, families, and the community, it is open at 6:00 am for milk deliveries and early-arriving teachers arrive until about 9:00 pm when the last Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and recreational basketball players leave. Community events take place throughout the weekend as well. "The whole staff here is so dedicated," Joy said. "Often, there are teachers are waiting for me at the door when I open the school at 5:45 am."

"I really love this school, I love the kids. They always put me in a good mood and make me laugh." She said principal Mike Callahan "is fun to work for, he's a great communicator, and he has high expectations. So does the entire staff, and so do I, so it's a great fit for me."

Joy is originally from Spring Lake Park and says she still has a lot of family members in the area.