Every morning before school starts, staff members eagerly prepare for the doors of Owatonna High School to open and students to fill the halls. As the front desk staff at OHS, Ms. Megan Rosenau and Ms. Jacqueline Grunklee hit the ground running in the morning with numerous jobs that must be completed.
Before students are let into OHS, the front desk staff checks teacher absences, makes sure substitute teachers are in place, prints class rosters and lets students with prior commitments before school into the building. The front desk staff also handles attendance. They answer phone calls, emails and voicemails from parents regarding their child’s attendance for that day. All of this takes place before 8 am.
Once the doors unlock at 8 am, it is a “free for all.” The staff is responsible for greeting visitors and students as they enter the school, making copies, printing student IDs as needed and continuing to answer phone calls from parents. Each day poses unique challenges and situations for those working the desk, making the days go by quickly. The varying day-to-day job responsibilities are something Ms. Rosenau and Ms. Grunklee both appreciate about their job.
Work days can be a combination of many tasks to do for the front desk staff. Ms. Rosenau said, “We just take it as it comes and do our best. It is completely random, and we love it.”
One of the attendance secretaries, Ms. Grunklee, has been working at OHS for four years. She took the position after six years as a stay at home mom. She was drawn to OHS because the hours lined up with her children’s hours at school. Ms. Grunklee has grown fond of the challenges of the job. As the attendance secretary, she is responsible for answering phone calls from frustrated parents. She enjoys mitigating the frustration and having conversations.
Ms. Grunklee explained, “Surprisingly enough, I enjoy taking the phone calls where parents are angry. I find it fun trying to calm them down and get them to a more even level.”
Ms. Grunklee’s counterpart at the front desk is Ms. Rosenau. Ms. Rosenau has been working at OHS as an attendance secretary for three years. Although only having spent one year at the old high school, she has felt the impact of upgraded technology at the new OHS. As a secretary, she relies on the internet on a daily basis for processing attendance, using printers and many of her other jobs.
Ms. Rosenau said, “As far as technology goes, we have grown leaps and bounds. It is incredible.” She highlighted the new system for signing in as a particular upgrade in efficiency and security protocols.
Ms. Rosenau loves the relationships she is able to build with students and staff at OHS. She seeks to go beyond being known as the attendance secretary and become more personal with students. The ability to connect with students is one of her favorite parts of her job.
Ms. Rosenau said, “Deep down my favorite part of the job is being able to talk to everyone everyday… I love learning little things about other people and sharing things about myself with other people. It’s just building that connection that is my favorite part.” She also joked that Chipotle Bar day in the cafeteria is another favorite part of her job.
The effort expended by Ms. Rosenau and Ms. Grunklee in order to build genuine relationships with students does not go unnoticed. Students that use the office to check out for Big Brothers Big Sisters, hybrid classes or PSEO appreciate the friendliness they are greeted with in the office.
OHS junior Blake Farris said, “Whenever I check into the school they’re always super friendly and helpful.” Farris participates in PSEO classes that take place off campus, meaning he has to check in and out through the office.
Another student who often goes through the office is senior Finley Loveless. Loveless has had hybrid classes over his time at OHS and has noticed the time the front desk staff takes to personally get to know him.
Loveless said, “They always ask how my day is going or what I’m up to after school or on the weekend. Overall, they talk to me like they genuinely care and want to know more about me – as opposed to feeling obligated to as a part of the job.”
Loveless notices the extra effort the secretaries put into their jobs. Loveless said, “[The secretaries] go above and beyond the requirements of the job with every student interaction.” He cannot imagine a better duo to be the first faces to see when students walk into the building.
OHS’ Attendance Secretaries work hard to not only fulfill their duties to the school but also build relationships with every student that passes through the doors of the office. Ms. Grunklee and Ms. Rosenau begin work before school starts and work to the end of the day to keep the school running smoothly. Students are continuously impacted by their efforts to know each person on a personal level.
