A student uses the phone in the attendance office as Cathy Grogg prepares the list of students who are absent that day. Photo by Phillip Bannister.
Since December of 1983, the familiar attendance secretary Cathy Grogg has been working in school systems. In 86’ Grogg began working at Harrisonburg High, giving her a total of 27 years of service to the Streaks.
For Grogg, working with kids is the best part of her hectic job.
“I do daily attendance of the entire school; more importantly is the record for the stately attendance. The report then gets sent to the state,” Grogg said. “The daily part of my job is a lot of paper work and records that Mr. Smith (state attendance coordinator) can use in court cases for truancy.”
The commotion in the attendance office, with students begin signed in or out of school, is constant. The large amount confusion only manages to increases through certain parts of the school day.
“Majority of parents take kids out during lunch. It makes 11-1 crazy for anyone. There are two phones and my cell phone, that makes chaos,” Grogg said.
Every student that thinks that the job of working in attendance simply entails a phone call to a class room is highly mistaken.
“We call during 1st and 4th block; the list is emailed out by 10:30. Teachers call in any differences for anyone they can not account for. By 2:30 the list is sent to Mr. Smith to see why people are skipping.” Grogg said.
But all the chaos does not end in the attendance office after graduation. Grogg is an 11 month employee, staying three weeks after school is out and coming back three weeks early.
“In prep for next year in three weeks in June, we have data base new students. I send out a letter to kids who missed 20 or more days of school,” Grogg said. “I am back in August for fee days.”
So while students enjoy their summers off on vacation or sleeping in, Grogg spends her time here preparing for the
Attendance secretary Cathy Grogg marks a student as excused as his parent calls in to explain why he is absent. Photo by Phillip Bannister.
next school year, in the hopes of making the school year easier for students and faculty in the attendance office.
During the school year Grogg does receive help from some students that volunteer their empty blocking helping out in the attendance office.
“I choose to come in here,” Junior Cihanna Whitelow said. “I love Mrs.Grogg and she usually needs helps so that she doesn’t go crazy.”
Whitelow spends second blocks of our school day in our attendance office doing various tasks to assist Grogg.
“I get her coffee, file papers, get mail, run errands, and straighten up the office when everyone trashes it,” Whitelow.
A pleasant part of the experience for Whitelow is just the environment. She enjoys spending time with Grogg and just being able to help out.
“Mrs. Grogg makes everyone laugh, her attitude is hilarious,” Whitelow said.
Since students can be repremanded for lying, skipping, or truancy, some tend to get upset.
“Students are so rude, they always have an attitude, and we get so many of them everyday,” Said Whitelow.
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