After taking a message from a parent, he hands the box of mail to another aide. As they search the teachers boxes and place the papers in each box, LHS department aides provide a very important service to the school.
Department aides are students who choose one of their class periods to work for a teacher or in the office. Some may grade papers, help answer phones or deliver messages to students throughout the building.
“I love their company,” receptionist Regina Hicks said. “I get emotional about [them graduating] because I know I am not going to see them anymore and we get really close.”
Office aides assist the office staff and allow them to remain in the office by delivering items to students and picking up roll sheets from substitute teachers. Being an office aide allows the students to get a chance to be in an office environment and to learn skills such as filing and answering a phone using professional customer service skills.
“I like the environment that they have in the front office,” senior Barrett Soriano said. “I like Mrs. Regina and Mrs. Sacrey, so I thought it would be cool to [be an office aide.]”
Most of the time, the office staff don’t get to interact with students from around the school. The aides allow them to be able to interact with students that they usually would not be able to throughout the day.
“The only kids we end up seeing are the kids that are coming in for discipline or to give us a doctor’s note,” attendance clerk Chelsey Sacrey said. “We don’t get to have a conversation to get to know kids, so being able to have conversations with them and seeing what goes on in their lives is a treat.”
Another way aides can help out is to drive out to the admin building by EJ Moss. Senior Kailey Kraig has 3 periods throughout the day that she is an office aide. She separates mail at the administration building and delivers it to each campus during her aide classes.
“To be an office aide is to deal with a lot of interesting people with different personalities,” Kraig said. “You get to help people by directing them around the school and you pick up a lot of attendance sheets.”
Most importantly, these aides learn from these experiences in many ways. This also gives them a chance to build experience for their college recommendation letters.
“It will be sad to leave after becoming close to these great teachers,” senior Joe Adams said. “However, I feel that they have equipped me to go out into the real world using the lessons they have taught me, both inside the classroom and out.”
