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Episode 36: Celebrating Administrative Assistants

Sup with the Sup
Sup with the Sup
Episode 36: Celebrating Administrative Assistants
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Welcome everyone to the next episode of Provo City School District’s What’s Up With The Sup podcast. I am Superintendent Wendy Dau. Earlier this week we celebrated Administrative Professionals Day. For the podcast this week, I visited with a few of our amazing administrative professionals, both here at the district office and out in our schools, to talk a little bit about their jobs and to say thank you for all that they do.

But first, we need to share our updates.

  • The school district will be hosting four informational meetings to share and discuss construction and facilities information with the community. Each meeting will begin at 6 o’clock p. m. and will be held on the following dates and in the following locations.
    • Wednesday, May 1st at Centennial Middle School.
    • Monday, May 6th at Dixon Middle School.
    • Wednesday, May 15th at Tempview High School and
    • Thursday, May 16th at Provo High School.
    • For our first meeting at Centennial next Wednesday, it will be held in the auditorium.
  • On Saturday, May 11th from 5 to 7 o’clock p. M., the Provo City School District LGBTQ Plus Advisory Committee will be hosting its annual Night for All Families. All families are invited to attend this free event and enjoy dinner, treats, tie dye, lawn games, face painting, karaoke, prizes, lavender graduation, and community resource booths. This event will be held at the Grandview Learning Center at 1591 Jordan Avenue.
  • On Monday, April 29th, Dixon Middle School will be hosting a Farewell to Dixon event. This event is open to the public. The school is especially hoping that past students and employees of Dixon Middle School will attend. We’ll be able to come and help say goodbye to the location. The event begins at six o’clock PM.
  • The find your swing pins are in. If you have finished reading the book, the boys in the boat, check in with the office of your school to receive your pin.
  • If you are interested in hearing updates regarding the construction projects happening in the district, please visit the district website and click on the new construction newsletter, sign up link, the next newsletter will go out after our April 30th.
  • The Board of Education currently has one new draft policy available for community input on the district website. From the main page of the district website, click on the Policies, Forms, and Documents button. On the next page, at the top left, there is an orange Review Draft Policies Here button. The new policy available for review is a draft use of micromobility vehicles and pedestrian conveyances on school campuses policy.
  • The next school board meeting will be on Tuesday, April 30th. The study session will be held in Boardroom 1 at the district office. Start times will be announced closer to the date. This meeting is open to the public.
  • A survey has been sent out to all Provo City School District families regarding Camp Big Springs. We would like your feedback about this program and its importance in our community so that we can continue to provide great learning experiences for our students. This survey closes April 30th. Thank you to those who have already completed the survey.
  • And, once again, look for the weekly videocast from me every Friday. In this short video, I provide important information and updates about work happening throughout the district.

And now, on to our guests.

Wendy: I am here today with Melanie Shelley, who is our administrative assistant here in human resources at the district office. Welcome, Melanie.

Melanie: Hello.

Wendy: And so this week on our podcast, we’re talking about Administrative Professionals Appreciation Week, and we just wanted to highlight all of the great things that you do for all of us. So thank you for being here.

Melanie: Oh, thanks for having me.

Wendy: So tell us a little bit about maybe what a typical day looks like for you?

Melanie: Okay. Typical day is starting early, getting here, opening the office, getting things ready, and then it’s just running the whole day work. Mostly, you know, I work with teachers. I hire all the teachers. Individually, they meet with me one on one. We go over salaries. I’m usually pretty busy with that for about six or seven months. In addition, I love working with everyone here in the district office. I do supervise the front desk and some employees here in our office, and that’s so rewarding to me to be able to work with them and, and see them grow. I’m also really connected with the visa and the immigration, the teachers, hiring them and getting them legally here and working with the lawyers. So I’m pretty busy that way. Other than that, I’m just here to help and my door’s always open. People can just come in and we can take care of anything that they need.

Wendy: That is a lot of variety for a given day. Like you just are taking care of people is a lot of what you do. And you make sure that all of our needs are met here at the district office.

Melanie: Exactly. That’s, that’s my favorite part of it. Since day one, working with people, just, Satisfies me so much. It’s, it’s emotional to me because I want everyone that leaves this office to know they have a friend and that they always can count on it.

Wendy: Well, one of the things that I was talking with our team about this morning was just that you were one of the very first individuals that I actually met when I walked into Provo City School District, and I thought, if this is what this district is about, this is going to be the most incredible place to be. So I want you to know that.

Melanie: That means a lot to me because that is my goal, and it always has been. So like I said, it makes me emotional because that’s what I want.

Wendy: Tell us a little bit about the benefits. Best part about your job, or maybe even highlight a couple of things.

Melanie: The best part of my job is definitely just working with people. I’m very compassionate. Hopefully I’ve got a good personality and I’m helpful. And that is the most important thing, I think, is anything that I do. I mean, the work is so important, too. But I think how I make people feel and how and making sure that they’re helped. I think that outweighs everything.

Wendy: Outweighs everything. You do a fantastic job Melanie. Everybody that comes in here every single person says oh my gosh Who is that individual and she just makes me feel so at ease you answer everybody’s questions And you get us anything if I’ve ever needed chocolate, if I’ve needed a drink, whatever it is. You’re just always willing to help out with all of those things. I also want to highlight one other thing that I think you’re fantastic at. Talk about all of the work that goes into when we’re interviewing for candidates and how we go through that process because I don’t think people recognize how much work that’s happening up front before we’re bringing in people to interview them.

Melanie: I’m so glad you brought that up because that is another huge thing. I do oversee the applicant portal and get all the applicants and get everything ready, posting jobs and getting them correct and making sure that we have the right people in there. And, and then basically just getting the documentation that you guys need so that you can do your job. You don’t have that, then it’s, you know, it’s not advantageous for the, it’s fulfilling to know that I can be a little bit of help on that for you.

Wendy: You are incredible. Like just the packets that we get, how organized it is and how easy it is to just step in and do what we need to do to make sure we’re getting the best people. Like you do a fantastic job. So just want you to know today and every day how much we appreciate all that you do. And we are very, very lucky to have you in Provo City School District.

Melanie: Well, thank you. I appreciate you asking me. I appreciate this. Thank you.

Wendy: I am here at Franklin Elementary with one of our elementary administrative assistants, Shauna Fairbanks. Thank you so much for being on our podcast today.

Shauna: It’s a pleasure.

Wendy: So tell us a little bit about what it’s like to be an administrative assistant at Franklin Elementary School. Give us just a few highlights about what any day might look like for you.

Shauna: Well, that kind of varies. Some days it’s not too bad, other days it’s kind of crazy. With the new Raptor system and stuff, sometimes we struggle because we have a lot of parents that don’t have government IDs. So we have to go through the extra steps for that. A lot that don’t speak English, because we have a lot of kids from other countries. That’s where Rosario comes in big time for me. And so it’s just, you know, I come every morning. First thing I do is check subs. You know, make sure that we’re covered. If not, I work with Mr. Benson to try to get that done. And then, um, get roles and that ready. Usually come earlier in the morning so I can have that done before I have to start working with parents and the public and stuff when phone calls start coming in. But we do attendance calls. That could last almost all day long, if I could bet, or the day after, you know, and then we just have to be flexible to help teachers as they need it, parents as they need it, admin or staff as they need it, you know, and just. Be able to be willing to be interrupted, move to go from here to there. Some days it’s like, I don’t know how we ever made it. And other days it’s not too bad.

Wendy: You basically are kind of a jack of all trades, like whatever anybody needs, you’ve just got to figure it out. And you have a ton of knowledge about the school that probably nobody else has. That’d be my guess.

Shauna: Well, I don’t know about a ton of knowledge, but yeah, we fill a lot of hats from helping kids with health stuff, um, investigation work, you know, watching kids when they’re not picked up, you know, different kind of things. I mean, just whatever happens, happens.

Wendy: How long have you been at Franklin Elementary?

Shauna: I’m in my 13th year, I think.

Wendy: Okay. So quite a long history here and you know a lot of families and the community sees you as, as a stable person that they can go to and get help from.

Shauna: Actually, Mr. Benson is the third principal that I’ve worked with since I’ve been here. So that’s a lot of change for sure.

Wendy: Tell us what the best part about your job is.

Shauna: Well, the kids, of course, are, you know, great, but probably like working with the people that’s here. And we have some great parents too.

Wendy: So what would you say is your favorite thing to do in your job?

Shauna: The thing I like about it is it’s so diversified that it’s not just one thing for eight hours every day. Sometimes that’s hard and frustrating, but I would say it’s probably the best part of it is all the different kind of things.

Wendy: If you wanted to let parents know or our community know, like, this is something I wish you knew about what our schools do for your kids that you think sometimes maybe the public doesn’t know, what would that be? What would you want to share with them?’

Shauna: I don’t know if people realize just how much time outside of just your regular job that you go up and above and that’s just not teachers and that it’s office staff, it’s admin, it’s a lot of stuff is done to help people that I don’t think a lot of people know or see.

Wendy: I couldn’t agree more. So I just want you to know how grateful we are to have you in Provo City School District for all the work that you do, for how much you help our teachers, our principal, and our students. our students and our community. So I hope you’ve had an awesome day. I hope people have taken good care of you today.

Shauna: Yep. We’ve had a good day.

Wendy: So good. Thank you.

Shauna: Yeah. Thank you.

Wendy: Our guest is Bonnie Tautkus. She is my administrative assistant and we want to definitely highlight her on Administrative Professionals Appreciation Week and Day and all of the things. So welcome, Bonnie.

Bonnie: Thank you. Good to be here.

Wendy: How long have you been in Provo City School District, Bonnie?

Bonnie: I started here in 2018.

Wendy: Wow, so not too long, but you were here before COVID.

Bonnie: Yes.

Wendy: What position did you start in, and how did you end up in the superintendent’s office?

Bonnie: I started as the admin assistant for Alex Judd, and Todd McKee in elementary and secondary ed.

Wendy: And when did you move over to the office of the superintendent?

Bonnie: I moved here in July of 2020, and everything I started doing was during COVID, and that was exciting.

Wendy: That’s exciting and also scary all at the same time. Tell us what a typical, well, you don’t really have typical days. You and I both know this, but tell us what maybe a day looks like in the life of Bonnie Tautkus.

Bonnie: So I usually get here pretty early and help set up meetings. I am kind of the food person. I bring in all the snacks and water that help people get through their, I’m not going to say boring, meetings. Very long. Long meetings. So I start the day off like that usually. During those meetings, I try to keep up with everyone’s comments and take notes that will help them as they go through their days and get their projects done. I answer phone calls and I actually really like to get phone calls from people who are not super happy because they usually just need someone to talk to you. And then when they’re done, they feel better. Everybody feels better. And it’s a good thing to maybe just feel like I can help say it’s okay and we care and hopefully we can help work things out. So I do a lot of that.

Wendy: Tell us a little bit about the school board and how you support the school board because you’re also basically their administrative assistant too.

Bonnie: Okay, so there are seven members of the school board, and they will call me occasionally and ask me to do certain things to help them with their jobs, and they’re great to work with, and also have a lot of assignments that they want to give me, but that’s a good thing because it keeps me busy, and it helps them do what they need to do.

Wendy: And you do, you handle all of our board agenda planning and put all of that together and post all of our documents and handle all of the food and you actually run the board meetings, right? When you’re not here, we don’t know what to do.

Bonnie: Yes, a little bit. I need to, I need to help other people understand some of those things. They are little things, but they are the things that keep the meeting running, getting the agenda together and making sure that you know what time a certain item is supposed to start. Even if you can’t stick to it, that’s fine. And, um, yeah, just projecting presentations or the agenda for the meeting and making sure it keeps moving quickly and that the votes are recorded correctly and who voted on what and when and those kinds of things.

Wendy: So, and then you post all of that for the public. You’re doing a summary and all of that and getting minutes and everything ready so that it’s transparent.

Bonnie: Yes, I do post it on the public notice website, which is something that not everybody is aware of, but it’s a good place to get information about the school because everything legally has to be posted there. It has agendas, it has minutes, it has all the things that you need to know about what’s happening in the district and when the meetings are.

Wendy: And then you run my calendar, and I would die without you running my calendar. So tell us a little bit about what that’s like, because you usually walk in and you’re like, Did you know you’re double booked like five different times today? What does that look like?

Bonnie: That is always fun. As a matter of fact, we’re coming up on summer, where I will spend a lot of time doing that, because we have to set up all the regular meetings and make sure that there’s a place to hold them in. And there aren’t a lot of big meeting places in the district, so sometimes that’s difficult. And Superintendent Dau is super busy and loves to double book her appointments. So there are days when I look at it and go, okay, how do we make this work? And I’ll try to call principals or whatever and adjust things a little bit so she can fit everything in. And that’s fun and exciting.

Wendy: Yes. Bonnie, you are awesome, especially at interacting with the public, and so just really, like you said, helping them feel heard. So tell us maybe what is the best part about your job?

Bonnie: It’s the people. I really enjoy the people I work with. Superintendent Dau is fantastic. She’s always very complimentary, and she has way more energy than all of us, but she doesn’t get upset with us when we don’t keep up. So I really appreciate that. And I enjoy learning from her example and also all the other great people that are here in the district office, the communications team and the principals and the teachers and the parents and then the board members and there are just so many good people that are trying so hard to make everything run well for the students ultimately in the district and that’s a beautiful thing to see.

Wendy: I couldn’t have said that better. That’s amazing. So thanks Bonnie. We want you to know how much we appreciate and love you. We couldn’t do our jobs without you. I hope you know that.

Wendy: Our next guest on our podcast is Elizabeth Molinaro and she is our head administrative assistant at Dixon Middle School. So welcome.

Elizabeth: Thank you so much for having us.

Wendy: So how long have you been at Dixon Middle School?

Elizabeth: About three years now. I was a librarian over at Provo Peaks before, and when I was looking to make a bit of a change as far as how I spent my day, this opportunity came up and I couldn’t be happier to be here.

Wendy: You have so much positive energy. You just make everybody as they walk in the door feel so welcome at Dixon. Just sets the whole mood for the entire school. Are you, do you know that? Do you know that you do that?

Elizabeth: Well, thank you. We always want everyone to feel welcome and that the office is approachable. And that’s one of the reasons I actually wanted to take this job. I had an experience with my own students on the other side of town at Centennial, where they did such a beautiful job taking care of me as a parent and of my children as students, that when this opportunity came up, I thought, I really want to give back and be able to do that for another group of students. And so I was able to come here and it’s nice to know that the goal I made is actually happening. So thank you.

Wendy: Good job! Tell us what a typical day looks like for you here at Dixon Middle School.

Elizabeth: Well, I get here before the students do to help make sure the technology is in place to welcome visitors and to help with any last minute needs before the day starts. And then all day long, parents, teachers, students, guests come into the office and we try to make sure that whatever their reason for visiting Dixon is a positive one when they walk out the door. And it can be anything. It can be items that they forgot, a question. We have new to the country parents and students. We have people who are moving. We have students who are having a tough day. We have students who want to come in and share good positive things, and it can be anything that walks in the door. And my office aides and I want to make sure that anyone who comes in. Always feels comfortable coming to the office and hopefully we’re meeting that goal.

Wendy: Well, you definitely are meeting that goal. So tell us what the best part about your job is.

Elizabeth: The best part about my job is any time that we have a student or a parent that comes in with a concern or that is upset and we can turn that around to when they leave and they say thank you so much and that they were glad that they came in. I had a parent my first year that was here, this is kind of a funny story for me, where I made a goal that they would come in and they just were not happy with their school experiences so far. And I looked at that parent and I said, before they leave and this school year, I’m going to make sure that they love coming to school. And by the end of the year, they came in and said, thank you so much. This was just a great experience. And, and when they left, I said, yes, I was so excited that they understood that we were here to help, not to hinder. And so I love taking on that challenge of when somebody comes in where they’re not quite satisfied, what can we do to help make sure that they know we have so many resources here and so many staff and teachers that want to make their experience a welcome one, that if they don’t know that it’s our job to help them know that.

Wendy: You are fantastic. You accomplish that every single day. So I’m so glad we were able to highlight you today. So thank you and thank you for all that you do for Provo City School District and for our entire Dixon community. What are you most looking forward to in terms of moving to the new building over to Shoreline?

Elizabeth: I’m really excited for our students to experience the best that we have to offer. Dixon has this homey, comforting, tradition feeling that is here, that is wonderful, that I want us to carry over there. But I’m excited for teachers to have the same size classrooms. I’m excited for them to have updated technology where the Wi Fi works in the whole building all the time.

I’m excited for them to have access to additional things we’ll be able to offer with this technology. Increased space. I’m excited for better physical education facilities for our students. I’m really excited for them to experience what it’s like in a setting that will be so similar that when they make the transition to Provo High that it will be even more seamless than we work for it to be now. I’m really excited for our students to see what that’s like. And for our community to have that space for additional meetings and for additional opportunities for concerts to be able to be big enough to accommodate everyone, things like that. I’m really excited.

Wendy: Your enthusiasm is very contagious. That is what I’m going to say right now. And every single person that walks through the store feels loved and welcomed here at Dixon because of you. So thank you for all that you do.

Elizabeth: Thank you very much.

Wendy: I am here with Tonja Roberts. She is the administrative assistant at Wasatch Elementary. Welcome and thank you for being on this week’s podcast.

Tonja: Thank you.

Wendy: So tell us a little bit about how long have you been at Wasatch Elementary?

Tonja: I’ve been at Wasatch Elementary for 11 years, but I’ve been with the district for 26 years.

Wendy: That’s fantastic. So, tell us a little bit about what a typical day looks like for you here at Wasatch.

Tonja: I arrive early because there’s a lot to do to get the school ready to open at 8:30. The first thing I do is I get all of the announcements ready and I pre-record them because when school starts, the office is a little crazy and it’s not a time to be making announcements live. So, we pre record the announcements and play them. Getting all the substitutes set up, getting school ready to open. So I like getting here early so I know that everything’s ready.

Wendy: What are some of the things that happen once school is open, what does the rest of the day look like? Because I have a feeling that you wear about 500 different hats in a given day.

Tonja: I do and I love it. Typically, after school starts and everything, we spend a lot of time checking kids in and out. Our Wasatch students tend to be busy and have a lot of social things, and so where the kids are in and out, teacher needs, we are helping assist the principal, taking care of finances is one of the big things that we take care of, and making sure everybody’s where they need to be when they need to be there.

Wendy: And you even deliver lunches. I see here we have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a student, and you’re going to be responsible for making sure that student gets that today. Tonja: Absolutely. Having a healthy lunch is very important, so we make sure they get their lunches.

Wendy: Tell us a little bit about your morning announcements because we hear that they’re, um, a joy. So tell us a little bit about what those are like.

Tonja: I do love doing the morning announcements. It’s an opportunity for me to do things I love, like sing and do different voices and things like that. We have lots of songs for different audiences. Menu items, um, chicken and corn and pizza and everything like that. And so it gives me an opportunity to put a smile on the kids faces. And I think if they can start the day with a smile and some type of repetition for a birthday song or something like that, that that’s one thing that I could offer for them.

Wendy: What is the best part about your job?

Tonja: The best part about my job is the interaction with the students. When they come in and you can see that they’re down or that they’re struggling. And when they walk out, they have a smile on their face. It’s worth everything.

Wendy: You are definitely the right person to be so welcoming, like everyone feels welcome as they come into Wasatch Elementary because of the atmosphere that you set here. So, thank you so much for all that you do each and every day to support our teachers, our students, families, and our principals.

Tonja: Thank you.

Wendy: Thank you everyone for joining me for this week’s episode of What’s Up with the Soup. As always, all episodes will be posted on Spotify, YouTube, and the district website.

If you have any topics or questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast, please email us at podcast at provo dot edu. Have a great weekend.

Shauna Sprunger
  • Coordinator of Communications
  • Shauna Sprunger
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