Supporting staff makes positive impact on student body
Teachers are at the forefront of the task to educate students for a better future, but other staff such as piano accompanist Alexis Robinson and school nurse Misty Garrison are also working relentlessly to impact students in a positive way.
Robinson works alongside vocal instructor Johnny Matlock, and is familiarly called ‘Lexie’ by the staff and the student body.
“I’m hired as the accompanist, so I do all the piano accompaniment for choir, Chorale, Chamber Singers and also for Full Chord Press,” Robinson said. “I guess I would also be considered the vocal secretary, because I deal with anything that would involve money.”
Robinson takes money for t-shirts, trips and takes care of purchase orders.
“A lot of times, I will also return phone calls and e-mails to work out a schedule with the students on when they want to work on their music or practice as a group,” Robinson said. “If it involves music, I’m probably involved in that at the high school.”
Before she started working at the high school, Robinson worked at Felten Middle School, now known as Hays Middle School.
“I was an accompanist at the middle school for Mr. Matlock for about five years when he decided he wanted to come back to the high school,” Robinson said. “He asked if I would come with him and so I did, and have been accompanying with him for about six years.”
Robinson interacts with many students on a regular basis, accompanying the vocal students as they work on different solos and group performances.
“I think I have a great relationship with the students,” Robinson said. “I think they feel like they can come talk to me if they have a problem or if they have something they want to celebrate.”
In the six eventful years Robinson has spent at the high school, she has made many unforgettable memories.
“There are so many things I’m proud of,” Robinson said. “Anytime the students do well at contest, or sing a great solo in class, I want to celebrate with them. There are so many great things happening in our music program and I’m just very proud of the kids.”
One of Robinson’s proudest moments is when they sang at KMEA.
“But anytime I work with them, I’m proud of them,” Robinson said. “They just have such a great work ethic, and they will do what you ask and I appreciate that so much.”
From working with students, Robinson said she has learned patience, learned to appreciate everything they do, their hard work, and their willingness to change their schedule to fit.
“From performing and working with me, I hope I can impart some good character to students,” Robinson said. “I hope they gain integrity, honesty, enjoyment out of doing hard work, confidence, and just an appreciation for life.”
On the other side of the building, school nurse and Student Council sponsor Misty Garrison is supporting and mentoring students in a different way.
“As a school nurse, I am responsible for assessing students throughout the day that are feeling ill and deciding what course of action might be needed,” Garrison said. “It may be as simple as Band-Aid or as serious as a call to 911 for additional evaluation of the student.”
Garrison also develops care plans for student with special needs ranging from headaches, seizures, gastric illnesses, diabetes and others. She also oversees immunization records and makes sure that the school is a safer place for students who may be immunocompromised.
“I am definitely in the care taker role as a nurse,” Garrison said. “Sometimes I have to be the authoritarian keeping kids who need to be at school here, and there are times when I am an advocate for a student who may need additional care or a supportive ear.”
In 2015, Garrison also decided to step up and become a Student Council sponsor along with Spanish teacher, Matt Whitney.
“I knew when I started at Hays High that I wanted to find something beyond nursing that got me involved with working hands on with students,” Garrison said. “When they announced the StuCo position, it was an easy decision for me.”
Garrison has been involved with multiple service organization and events throughout her life and she looked forward to passing on that knowledge to students.
“For StuCo, I feel my relationship with students is more of a motivator,” Garrison said. “I hope that student feel inspired and supported by me to think outside of the box. I have been told I can be a little intimidating, but I think it’s because I hold students to a higher standard and I make them accountable to the potential that I see in them.”
Being a StuCo Representative, Garrison is involved in much of the event organizing and coordination. Garrison, Whitney and the executive StuCo Officers run a lot of projects that require weeks of detailed planning.
“My goal is to help them develop the most creative and efficient ways to complete each project,” Garrison said. “I do a lot behind the scenes, but my desire is to keep students as the focus and in the spotlight. I believe it should be their voices that are heard and seen.”
StuCo has accomplished many projects throughout the year, including Homecoming, Indian Call, the blood drive and many others.
“In all fairness I don’t see any of the accomplishments made this year as ‘mine,’” Garrison said. “I had the pleasure to work with incredible students who made StuCo look so good this year.”
As a group Garrison would say that there was a lot of excitement over being able to add a formal assembly to Indian Call.
“It was a lot of extra work but the executive officers heard the requests from their peers and then went to work finding a way to make it happen,” Garrison said.
StuCo students have taught Garrison more about team work and cohesiveness.
“I have learned that with this age group, words of affirmation go a long way and that students who have someone that believes in them will give you everything they can,” Garrison said. “Students will work harder and get more involved when they have a leader who works just as hard alongside them.”
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