When we think of superheroes, we imagine Superman, Batman, Spiderman or Wonder Woman. Many of these heroes are flashy, displaying their skills and feats. However, at KHS, many heroes go unshown, as they evade the spotlight.
These are the staff members of the main office, who keep our school functioning. Day in and day out, the executive secretaries Jordan Wienke, Ellen Kraichely and Lisa Young complete multiple tasks to fulfill the needs of KHS.
“I answer phones, I respond to walkie-talkie requests, I check in people who come into this building that are adults,” Wienke said. “I have control over two of the doors here at the Welcome Center, I greet people, process copies, do substitution attendance and all that.”
Aside from the other tasks, substitution attendance is another important job. Staff members need to account for all the teachers who aren’t going to be at school, as well as who is available to take their place. According to Kraichely, this is a large part of her job.
“Every day, I’m helping teachers out,” Kraichely said. “My job is more teacher-focused, so I am helping them by getting their classes covered if they’re sick, or if their kids get sick. That happens all the time, where a teacher will get a call from their daycare facility or their kid’s school and their kid is sick, and they have to leave right then, so we’ve got their classes covered.”
Whether it’s Spiderman getting bit by a spider or the death of Batman’s parents, all good heroes have an origin story. Our staff members at KHS have origin stories too. Young shares about her experiences working at Lindenwood University.
“I loved being an academic librarian at a university for 15 years, and for many years, I was able to manage the fluctuating nights and weekends work schedule,” Young said. “As my kids got older and more involved, I wanted to transition to an educational support role more aligned with their schedules. I heard great things about KHS, and upon interviewing, it was apparent that it was an opportunity to work with great people.”
Superheroes always have a superpower to accompany them. For Kraichely, she said hers is how she helps people at KHS.
“I am very organized and very service-oriented,” Kraichely said. “So I believe my job is to service all the kids and staff at the school to be as helpful as I can.”
With every hero’s superpower, there is kryptonite. Lisa Young states that hers is time, which is often taken up by processing employees’ paychecks, which is also known as payroll.
“I want to do so much [in] any given day – I’m always craving more time to be as responsive, creative, strategic and communicative as I would like to be,” Young said. “Payroll is honestly my kryptonite, though, because it takes up so much of my time when I would rather be responding to the needs of KHS.”
Superheroes have moments where they fly in and save the day. Young shares about an experience with another staff member and how she helped them with their struggles.
“Meaningful connections are so important, yet they often fly under the radar for all of us at KHS,” Young said. “One story that comes to mind is when I randomly crossed paths with an upset staff member who was struggling. I reminded this staff member of the gift and light they are to KHS and the tremendous heart they bring daily despite all they are facing. I believe that underneath our schedules and to-do lists, there is always an undercurrent of vulnerability and bravery.”
The women at the KHS main office are helpful workers who assist students and teachers to make it a better place. Even though they are not in the spotlight, they work to make our school function. Behind all the work they do, they are a strong team.
“We are the three musketeers, peas in a pod, three little pigs, the bears of Goldilocks,” Wienke said. “That’s us.”