Thanking the aides

Christy Bishop, Staff Contributor • December 11, 2018

A helpful aide poses in front of an encouraging poster.

While they often get overlooked, the aides at Pleasant Valley High School are the glue that holds the school together.

Many students are helped by aides every day. For example, just about every student who enters the nurse’s office, whether it’s on a day to day basis or a stop in, is most likely helped by Mary Akker. Akker is technically given the title of “Nurse’s office aide,” but she can often help just as much as Pam Cinadr, the high school nurse.

Many students comment on how positive Akker is. An anonymous student who goes to the nurse daily said, “She always makes an effort to talk to me personally. I always walk out of the office in higher spirits than before. She brightens my day.” Students are also very supportive of Cinadr, though special recognition to underappreciated staff members has been long overdue at PV.

Akker’s coworkers are also more than deserving of the spotlight. Other aides, such as: Melissa Clemmons (educational aide), Tony Cox (campus monitor), Joyce Junge (educational aide), Jason Koch (information tech), Dan Simmons (head custodian) and Tonie Spencer (librarian). While there are many others, these were often mentioned by students for going out of their way to help kids, other faculty, and PV in general.

Lauren Groenboom, a senior, was assigned an activity in her psychology class which made her show greater appreciation of the school’s faculty. She was told to write a thank you note to someone she had appreciation for but would not necessary thank on a daily basis. She was encouraged by her teacher, Ann Berger, to choose a person who may not always get the praise they deserve.

Groenboom chose Simmons, the head custodian, to thank. As a high school swimmer, Groenboom knew that the pool relied on Simmons to work correctly. She said , “He does so much for our school that we often take for granted, and I want to show him that the students realize the school wouldn’t function without him.”

When Groenboom handed Simmons the note, she decided she could not have chosen a better person to thank. “He was very taken aback at first, then read the whole note in front of me and got a huge smile on his face. He kept thanking me and seemed so happy for the rest of the day. It not only made his day, but it made mine as well.”

After her experience, Groenboom urged classmates to thank their teachers, aides, and other faculty members. She believes everyone deserves appreciation, and when people are recognized for their hard work, it often brightens everyone’s day.