By Junior Hannah Colbert

Everyone has experiences they don’t share, parts of their days that only they know about. For certain individuals in the Windom School district, there are many points that the general public doesn’t know about. From custodial and food staff to paraprofessionals and secretaries, the important jobs are often the ones that are overlooked. Our student support professionals don’t ask for or necessarily want recognition but they need and deserve it. 

For students in both the elementary and middle/high schools, a clean and safe learning environment has just become a normal thing that is expected each day. For the custodians working in these buildings though, it is a lot more than something that just happens. The great people in these positions typically come to the building before the students, remove snow and ice in winter, ensure classroom temperatures are functioning properly, and fix any problems they see before students arrive. Why? Simple, our custodial staff takes pride in having well maintained facilities, and they do it out of love for the students.  Yes, there are a good amount of toilets to clean, spills to wipe up, and garbage to tend to, but there’s more to the job than just what you see. Our school buildings are clean, safe, and functioning thanks to our custodians.  

Every student has their struggles and points in their lives where help is needed, some need that help more than others. Paraprofessionals help students deal not only with academic pressure but also with the personal problems they face. The job is a lot more emotional and behavioral than academic. For our paraprofessionals, set routines for each day can vary largely. Due in part to how the kids are doing that day or which positions need to be filled and who needs their help. Many of them never know exactly what they’re walking into each day. The students of Windom Schools rely on the caring flexible support our paraprofessionals provide, without hesitation, everyday.

Many students look forward to, and some will even admit it is their favorite subject, lunch. For our food service staff, preparing meals out of love for students and their nutrition is something that they really take pride in. These individuals make food for hundreds of students, following all the different nutritional guidelines to make their menus and order the food. The work day for the food service staff typically starts long before our students arrive, unloading trucks and preparing the meals for the upcoming day. Preparing meals, cleaning the lunchroom areas and maintaining a kitchen are important aspects of the job of a food service professional, but it is the way they make our kids feel everyday walking through the lunch line that is irreplaceable.  

Our school would probably grind to a halt without the Windom Schools office staff. They organize, enter information, answer phones, communicate with staff, fill absent staff positions and constantly problem solve or coordinate. This is not a desk job, the secretaries are constantly serving student and staff needs by helping or even just being a friend. Creating an environment where students feel safe and supported is a priority for our office staff. No matter what the day throws at our office staff, they are always there for our kids.  

Regardless of the position our support professionals hold, the students are their purpose for the love they perform their jobs with. The students are why they work at a school, they bring joy and they want to have a positive impact within the lives of our future generations. While much of the work our support professionals do day in and day out goes unnoticed, it is the positive impact on the lives of our students that serves as their lasting legacy - thank you for making a difference in the lives of all our Windom Eagle youth!