By Paizlee Writtenhouse
Phones ring in the background, students walk in and out of the doors, deliveries arrive, buzz-ins occur, and more that lead to a chaotic place. This is the constant atmosphere of the office. The necessary behind-the-scenes part of the school.
Mrs. Kelli Edwards and Mrs. Alison Jackson are the two secretaries who work full-time five days a week to keep the office organized. There is always something going on in the office, but making sure that everyone stays on task is the most important part.
“I think when each one of us does our job well, then collectively the office lives to see another day!” Mrs. Edwards said.
There are many responsibilities in the office, such as answering phones, helping students/parents, and working on all their separate work that the secretaries need to cover to help them stay organized.
“I think we stay organized because we each have our own responsibilities, but we know enough about what the others do to be of some help,” Mrs. Jackson said. “So we are able to cover each other.”
Similar to the secretaries, assistant principal Ms. Joey Gossett is also an essential part of the office. She manages students, her staff, and herself all at the same time. She plays an important role in the school.
According to Ms. Gossett, keeping students safe is her most important role.
“Honestly, I think it is making sure that students are safe,” she said. “That includes knowing where students are at all times–whether they are here or absent.”
Like every other place, there are good days and bad days. There are days when the office runs smoothly and there are others when it turns to chaos. They could get behind or not know how to handle a situation.
“I think every day gets somewhat complicated because there is something new every day,” Ms. Gossett said. “We might have someone out of the office, so it is up to the rest of us to cover for them, whether it is answering the phone, talking to students about behavior, etc.”
As for the secretaries they also have strong views on hectic office days.
“Days where we have special testing such as finals, or SAT, iLearn, whatever those days may be, would be our days that are challenging, getting kids where they need to be, bell schedule might be off, lunch schedules might change,” Mrs. Edwards said.
School delays can be chaotic as well.
“Two-hour delay days are probably the worst,” Mrs. Jackson said. “We have a lot more attendance calls usually, plus we are trying to get our normal work done in less time.”
Keeping track of students, their health, attendance, and more is a difficult job.
Delta High School has a diligent staff that is able keep up with the day-to-day responsibilities thanks to the staff in the front office. Daily activities go a lot smoother with the office staff involved. Thanks to their dedication, the school can run smoothly throughout the year.
