Administrative professionals in our public school systems deserve recognition for all the hard work they give to their schools and the caring and patience they give to all they assist, while they are flooded with stacks of paperwork and students lining up for help from their front line position.
Vicky Santelli is the secretary at Horse Lake Elementary School, who the students call “Mrs. Vicky,” is much appreciated by principal Maria Telford (Mrs. Telford).
“[Mrs.] Vicki is very easy going, very caring, very organized, and she goes out of her way to help. She fits in well with everybody,” says principal Maria Telford.
Mrs. Telford notes Mrs. Vicky has been a secretary with School District #27 (SD27) for the past 27 years, raising her own children in the local school system over this time, before joining Horse Lake Elementary School late last fall.
Before her latest post, Mrs.Vicky – who says she has been called that name by students since her first post as secretary – worked at many other schools.
“Over my years with the District, I have worked at nine different schools and with 24 different administrators.
“I actually started as a noon hour supervisor at Lac la Hache Elementary School, and then filled a casual secretary position at Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School for six months, and so began my journey.”
The long-time secretary explains working at schools can be challenging, but never boring, because no day is ever the same – “you have to be ready for anything.”
“You may have parents in registering their child, phones will be ringing, a child with a nosebleed, requests for ice or band-aids, all while you are trying to get newsletters or report cards out.”
However, Mrs. Vicky says in the same token, this is also why she enjoys her job so much – because when the dust settles, she gets her reward in the grateful thank you from the parent, the happy smile from the child she just put a band-aid on or just having a child tell her they think she is “nice.”
“One of the reasons I love working in a school is the children. They keep me young. They bring me joy on a daily basis – whether it is a smile, a cheery greeting, birthday cupcakes or the pictures they draw for me – this is my reward for being a school secretary.”
Her role in SD27 schools has seen her work with some amazing people and made her many friends, she adds.
“I have been invited to graduations and birthday parties and have received so much love from staff, students and parents.
When asked to describe her life as a school secretary, Mrs.Vicky replies “what can I say but ‘my cup runneth over’.
“It doesn’t matter how bad of a mood I come through the door with, it is swiftly taken away by these wonderful children.”
Mrs. Telford says if the school secretary is away for even a few days, she is sorely missed, and if the principal has no replacement, fills in herself and sees first hand how hard her job really is through experiencing some very busy days.
“She ‘holds down the fort’ here – she is the ‘front line’ at the school, she is there to help in so many ways.”
The reverse is also true, as when Mrs. Telford is not here, Mrs. Vicky is able to answer some questions, direct parents and help them fill out forms, take important messages, and other important professional duties that are much appreciated by her administrator.
Horse Lake Elementary welcomes her not only as a nice secretary with a smiling face behind the front desk and a helpful, caring attitude, but also the benefits of her experience from her roles at schools across SD27 for almost three decades.