Thomas McHugh
Mr. McHugh has been a custodian in the East Valley School District for 9 years! He started his time in EVSD at Trent Elementary, shortly before his son Jack was born. Jack is currently 9 years old and he’s become his dad’s way of keeping track of his longevity at EVSD.
Thomas grew up near Plant’s Ferry Park and began his time in EVSD as a kindergartener at Trentwood Elementary School. He’s always loved reading, creative writing, learning history, and visual and musical arts. He played clarinet throughout his time as a student, including participation in school productions such as Cinderella and Oklahoma.
Upon graduating from East Valley High School, Mr. McHugh earned an AA at SFCC, and went on to pursue a degree at EWU in Visual Communication Design with a minor in Art. Upon marrying his wife after graduation, they spent a year in Nagahama, Japan, teaching English. When they returned to the US, he worked for the City of Spokane Parks & Recreation Department as a counselor in the Sunshine Day Camp, as well as an event leader for kids and adults with disabilities. Those experiences created a joy of lifting others up to flourish. His next five years he worked at The Carlyle Care Center, an assisted living facility in the heart of downtown, and it cemented his belief in the importance of caring for ourselves and our community. It also taught him how hardships and perseverance truly makes a difference as he was required to keep a level head during many escalated and dangerous situations.
His family was growing, and with two young daughters came the desire for a job closer to home along with more reasonable hours. He jumped at the opportunity to serve his local community in EVSD. Beginning at Trent Elementary in early 2015 to now, it is hard for him to believe it has been nine years!
Why he loves Otis: Otis Orchards Elementary feels like a family. “We go through all the challenges of running a school together with mutual support and appreciation. We are there to share the load and give our students the best chance for success we can.”
Why he chose East Valley: I was happy to be able to serve my own community where I’ve grown up.
Favorite part of his job: One of Thomas’ favorite aspects of his job is the wide range of things he gets to do to help with, whether that means helping grandpa rescue keys from a locked car, repairing a model train engine, punching new holes in a leather belt, or even giving recommendation on the means of removing a skunk from beneath one’s house! Teachers, students and parents alike have stated that he is willing to help them in any way, and if it lands outside the realm of his abilities he is willing to help them seek a solution. He feels very lucky to have a principal that encourages him to wield his creative side to help make Otis an exciting place, especially for the students, whether that be a space shuttle, sailing ship, or giraffe. It sparks excitement and wonder he hopes our students feel every day!
Fun fact: He first met his wife in kindergarten!
Three words to describe him: Caring – Creative - Calm