Where Childhood Meets Community:
A Secretary’s Perspective on Education
submitted by Sarah Nicole Campbell,
Administrative Assistant, Kingsdale Elementary
Seeing children through the broad-viewed eyes of an elementary school secretary brings forth many feelings, usually big ones, about what it takes to be involved in the lives of children. Whether it be as a teacher, a parent, a caretaker, or even as far down the line as a school board accountant, all of us play an impactful role in the development of these kids’ journeys. Without the Big Ben-sized clock of education’s gears, time would stop, and society would collapse. But, no pressure.
The daily routine of a secretary for tiny people and their every whim (plus the secretary stuff,) always includes the very high highs of laughter, smiles and hugs; alongside the very low lows of emotional outbursts and bad behaviour. On top of that, there are kids around.
Every morning without exception, the day must start with a cup of coffee and a silent prayer that all the staff’s absences are covered. If by some miracle all the slots are filled, the secretary may raise their head from their computer screen, and finally attend to all the tiny people in the office trying to get the attention of their favourite bandaid provider. The secretary must then make a choice: to allow, or not to allow. To provide, or not to provide. Because, while the adorable faces of very small humans are spewing their daily gibberish of requests, there are a million other tasks the secretary needs to be doing, right now, immediately, at this very moment. Entering late arrivals into the labyrinth that is the student record system, finishing that blasted task that really should only take five minutes (if only there were a spare five minutes at the same time as the desire to do said task… note that every secretary has a Terrible Task – it is a very personal journey), or signing the tablet that has suddenly been thrust in the secretary’s face by an anonymous (but appreciated!) delivery driver who has just delivered onto us the very nectar of educational prosperity: sticky-tack.
Once all the miscellaneous demands have been taken care of, the secretary is left to her backburner tasks: payroll, writing cheques, answering phone calls, making phone calls, dreading phone calls, watching the phone ring and not answering it, etc. After all, the most important part of an elementary school secretary’s job is making sure that the tiny people are safe. But, worry not, the crushing responsibility of ensuring the safety and physical wellbeing of hundreds of innocent children does not impact the secretary’s ability to do their job well. If anything, it lights a fire beneath us that forces us to easily adapt, persevere, and overcome the obstacle that is the ever-flowing river of problems that somehow sprout from the tiny people’s experiences as children.
Being a child is difficult, and I’m sure everyone who has ever been one would agree. While they don’t have to worry about paying taxes or how emails find them, they are free spirits trapped in a tiny body growing at an uncomfortably rapid rate. They spend the majority of their waking hours at school with us, and we get to see many, many moments of triumphs and many, many lessons learned (and sometimes, they see that in us, too).
Having such deep exposure to the array of circumstances that form children’s lives and personalities is a great privilege that none of us in the education field take for granted. The connections we, as adults, can create with the youths of tomorrow will forever be ingrained in their memories, and in ours. When they are the lawyers, they will remember their favourite sixth grade teacher who told them they would make a great one. When they become firefighters, they will picture their first memorable fire drill and how they felt in that moment, vowing to ensure the safety of kids just like them. And when they become teachers, or principals, or daycare educators, they will remember fondly how well they were taken care of by the grown-ups who surrounded them when they were small, and will have those memories as resources on how to be the best at their job. Even the employees who work hard in the background at the school board, who the children will likely never meet, are the pillars of our establishments – they are why children can go on field trips for new experiences, and how we pay our staff to be at school teaching, and how we can best support our families who need extra help in any scenario. Every single one of us at Lester B. Pearson School Board, and the education system in general, are integral in shaping society’s future and impacting how we progress, all in the simplest form: teaching children to grow, and learning how to grow with them.
However, it does not only take being a secretary to develop unique perspectives on child care and education. While secretaries get to know and understand almost every child on an individual level, they do not get to see them from a classroom’s point of view, or a daycare class, or a phys-ed class, or even in the principal’s office. A child, just like any of us, behaves and reacts differently to any given situation or circumstance. There are infinite factors at play that determine who a child becomes, and we, as the grown-ups who surround them, only get a glimpse of what makes up their whole day, their whole school year, their whole lives. It is a beautiful challenge that we happily and gratefully accept.
Thank you grown-ups, whether that be school staff, board employees, parents, tutors, and everyone in between. Thank you for enriching the lives of our students. And, on a grander scale, thank you, children, for making our lives as grown-ups a little more magical. While we shape your lives in a classic way, you shape ours as well.
6 Responses
I love how you describe your journey as a secretary QUEEN! You have a big heart and are a blessing to all who get to know you. Thank you so much Sarah, from a retired educator loved being a part of little and big human lives. Keep loving and making great memories for all of your charges. Your job is as important as anyone else in the school!
The role of school secretary requires a special someone who can comfort a vulnerable child, while doing 5 things at once and remembers every student’s name. They provide support to a wide audience while maintaining an even keel even on rainy days. The children at Kingsdale are very lucky to have you Miss Sarah.
Very well said Ms. Sarah! 👏🏻
Ms. Sarah is so smart, quick witted, expressive, caring and the list could go on and on. It’s truly an honour to call her my colleague and friend ♥️
Well done Sarah!
We love Ms. Sarah at Kingsdale!!
My daughter loves visiting her at the office, for a hello or a hug!