While the students are hard at work and the teachers are teaching, custodian Phil Tacke also has a very important job to do. Students of Revere see Tacke throughout the school hallways, always making sure the school looks clean and desirable. You will never catch him without his headphones in, and you will rarely ever catch him slacking off at work. Tacke takes great pride in the work he does at Revere. Whether it’s cleaning up around the school, asking how you’re doing when he passes you in the hallways, or even bringing in doughnuts for his coworkers, to say that Tacke does a lot for the Revere community would be an understatement. 

Tacke explained what a typical day working at Revere looks like for him. 

 “I try to stay as busy as I can. Everyone sees me throughout the halls sweeping up, and I go in the restrooms to make sure they’re clean. A lot of things that [students] probably don’t see is when deliveries come in and if there are things needing to be put together . . . or fixed, I get to do that stuff too,” Tacke said. 

Tacke’s friend and colleague Paul Warnock gave a summary of the job of him and his fellow coworkers.

 “If it’s not teaching and it needs to be done, that’s what we do,” Warnock said. 

Custodians not only play a large role in making sure that the school is clean, but they also have to take care of things that students may not see or give a second thought about. Custodians like Tacke have to set up for functions such as games and tournaments, make sure the office has all their supplies and much more. The work they do is very important to making sure that school and other events run smoothly.

Fellow Custodian Joyce Tamulewicz has been working at Revere for twenty-five years, five of those with Tacke. She used to be a substitute teacher, and now she works the second shift as a custodian.

Custodian Joyce Tamulewicz described what Tacke is like as a coworker.

“[Tacke] is conscientious, and he does a very good job,” Tamulewicz said.

Warnock described what it is like to work with Tacke.

 “He’s extremely hardworking. He is very proud of working at Revere, and he is very proud of the job that he does here. He’s always been an excellent team player. If somebody needs help or has a question, he’s always there to give you an answer or provide assistance,” Warnock said. 

Tacke has been working at Revere for eleven years, and he has been working with Warnock for six of those years.

Warnock works the night shift, so his typical day at Revere slightly differs from Tacke’s. Tacke worked the second shift with Warnock until the beginning of the 2020-21 school year when he switched to working day shifts.

Tacke made the change from working the night shift to working during the day because last year he was given the opportunity due to availability and seniority. 

Tacke explained some of the new advantages that he now has from working the day shift. 

“During the day shift, it’s nice to be able to see different people throughout the day and have more interaction . . . Some of the people that I have been friends with for a long time have kids that are going through the system now, and I get to see them . . . and that’s another one of the nice things about it,” Tacke said. 

Tacke has a nice and friendly demeanor and when he sees students in the halls, he will say hello and ask how they are doing, which students appreciate. While Tacke is working throughout the halls with his headphones in, oftentimes students will ask him what he is listening to. Tacke enjoys listening to all different genres of music, and he also likes to listen to many different podcasts as well. When he is not working, Tacke likes to ride his motorcycle or his four wheeler, and he also loves to spend time with his friends and family. 

Tacke has a dog named Brynx who gets to tag along with him to work from time to time. Tacke adopted Brynx from a rescue shelter, and he is a pit mix. 

“He is a pretty well behaved dog,” Tacke said. 

Whether he’s making sure the school and bathrooms look tidy, unloading deliveries, or helping out his coworkers, Tacke is always hard at work at Revere and he is always ready to help.