He was there right from the start, the first day of school, when there weren’t even children… Some 20 years ago, Elias, our dear guardian, began his work looking after the opening of the school, the children’s arrival, communication with the parents, the vigilance, the children’s departure, the closing of the school, providing incessant assistance with whimsy and affection throughout all these years.

“I started in 2001 at Vila Mariana. There were few people working there. Patrícia was still teaching back then. I’d stay at the door, hoping someone would arrive to enroll. When the people started coming, I was overjoyed!” Elias recalls.

He says that “impossible” is not in his vocabulary. “If you need to buy something, I’ll go; if a fan or a faucet breaks, I’ll fix it; I do the gardening, I take care of the banana trees, we were the ones who planted the trees that grow on the school sidewalk today. We did it all. Patty and I have been here since the beginning.”

Elias is that kind of person that brightens up our day. That’s why his presence at the front door of our school is so special. His high spirits and energy are contagious; the children, the school employees, and the families are all extremely fond of him and confident in his work.

“I’m very outgoing, I find it easy to communicate with people. I no longer can do this today, because of Covid, but I give fist bumps, the kids grab my leg… Now that we have to wear a mask, some parents say to me: ‘Gee, Elias, too bad we can’t see your smile now…’ I feel really comfortable with the moms and dads, we have fun, that’s my day. I feel blessed. The day you see me sad, it’s because something serious happened. I’m a cheerful guy.”

Elias says that he likes to help. “I handle the cars for the mothers when they need it… One day it rained cats and dogs, and three mothers were stuck at a McDonald’s, and one of them called Analívia asking if I could go get them somehow. And I did. That day was a real joy for me.”

He says his job takes a lot of responsibility. “I have to know the families and guardians really well. I know moms, dads, nannies, grandmas, aunts, dogs, I have to be really mindful at the door, know who has arrived and who hasn’t, because there’s no room for mistakes there, it’s a lot of responsibility. If I don’t know who’s coming to pick up a child, I’ll call the secretary first to confirm, and the child only leaves with the family’s permission. I’ve never had any problems so far, thank God.”

He says that the best thing about this job for him is to open the school, work all day, and close the school, knowing that everything went well again. “My happiness is knowing that everything has worked out yet again. I open and close the school every day. Knowing that all the children arrived and left well, that there was no danger on the street during the day, closing the school, checking if there’s a dripping tap, turning off the lights, closing all the doors, seeing if there’s no one else at the school, and going back home with the joy of another day accomplished.”

He also had a hard time going through the pandemic and staying away for so long. “I was very sad during social distancing; spending six months at home wasn’t easy. I really missed my work and the kids. But thank God we’re okay, we’re healthy, we’re coming back to school, and the good work starts again next year. That’s life.”

Elias was very pleased with the partial return of face-to-face classes and glad to see the little ones again, who got back to school full of affection. “They must have been longing to come back, I opened the door and they shouted ‘Elias, Elias!’, it was pure joy. My happiness was to see them, and theirs was to be close to me again.  And the parents said ‘Wow, Elias, you’re really dear to them.’”

Elias is sure he’s in the right place, that be.Living is one of his places in the world, and that his work is connected to his childlike spirit. “I’m 50 years old and it feels like I’m a kid in here too. For us, there’s no other way to work: you need to have an open heart, a wide smile, have a lot of fun, and be mindful of others; and if you need anything, I’ll be here to help. And so one day ends, I go back home, and the next day I’ll be here again. That’s why I’ve been with the school for so many years.”

Our guardian asks to go on record to thank the management and the families. “I want to thank Analívia and Patty for giving me the autonomy to work with joy, to talk to others, have fun, to feel happy. And I thank the parents, who like me and entrust their children to me. That’s what makes me happy. What else do we need in this life, right?”

We’re the ones to thank Elias for being in our lives. Thank you so much for these 20 years of partnership, and for many more years to come!