Widely recognized is work done by teachers, principals and counselors for the sake of our school, and for good reason; however, it’s time to turn our attention to the under-recognized work that keeps Hudson High School running smoothly.
The cafeteria is single handedly the most populated area of the school during lunch periods, filled with the bustle of pent up students. For our lunch monitors and food service employees, it’s where they find their work.
It’s well known that HHS values the quality of their snack line cookies above nearly anything else. Debbie Impiccini is the face behind those cookies, preparing hundreds everyday for her students. She also chooses the snacks we see behind the counter, ensuring their health value is up to federal standards and that the students will enjoy them: “It’s difficult to comply with the guidelines now because they’ve cut back all the dyes, salts and sugars– although it’s more strict in the back kitchen,” she explains. Her work in feeding our school is imperative to students’ days, fueling them for their classes. Not only does she make the cookies, but she also mans ticket counters at various Hudson sports games and watches her grandkids outside of school.
Impiccini has truly dedicated her work to kids. Before working in the Hudson school district she babysat 15 kids full time. As her own children grew older and started attending Hudson, she began work as a lunch aid and has been doing the job for 28 years since. She emphasizes the impact the students have on her life saying, “Kids keep my heart warm. I truly enjoy talking to them, socializing with them a little bit and getting invited to lunches and their graduation parties.” Impiccini’s work is felt around the school and her presence is a comfort for many students at HHS who enjoy a quick chat with her before they leave for their next period.
Outside of the snackline and kitchen, lunch aides help mediate the ongoings of the short period. Lisa Tomins, Michelle Brown and Fatma Ceylam are all dedicated to making each person’s lunch experience the safest and best it can be. During each period they converse with students, open up the gym for those wanting to play basketball and monitor the lunch’s ongoing shenanigans for any unwanted activity.
The three are very close, which is one of the main things they love about their job. “They’re like my work family,” says Brown. Like Mrs Impiccini in the lunch line, they too love interacting with students. Ceylam mentions that the job gives her a younger mind, and that being able to watch the kids grow is an amazing opportunity, “I love that the kids are growing… and I love how they change. There’s energy here that I like–it gives me a younger mind for sure,” she explains. Brown agrees, saying she mostly sees the shift happen in boys and feels rewarded when she sees her students mature into themselves as the years go by. The most important thing for all of those running the lunch room and free periods is that they help raise kids in a safe environment. For Mrs Tomins and Mrs Brown, this is especially true.
Working in the attendance office is no small achievement. Accounting for the thousands of kids in the high school takes focus and a sense of pride in the job. Not having a student in attendance can become a matter of life and death in some extreme cases. Aisha’s Law, put into place after the murder of a young girl after not being marked absent from school, was created to protect students and make sure that they are accounted for throughout the day. It mandates that students must be marked in attendance or absent within the first couple hours of the day. If they aren’t in school with no record of the absence, then attendance officers are required to call home. Thankfully, our attendance officers take this law very seriously and appreciate the help they receive from students in the form of doctor’s notes or advanced absence forms.
As the school year continues and the number of cookies bought or absences begin to pile up, it is important to take a minute to thank those doing work you forget to recognize. Each person on the HHS staff list who works behind the scenes, especially those found in the attendance office, lunch room and snack line all chose their job as an homage to their passion to helping kids grow. It is our job as students to ensure that they have it as easy as possible and make sure they feel our appreciation everyday.
