Providing the Home Touch

ESP Help First-Year Students Cope With Their First Venture Away From Home

By Dave Arnold

As the summer is about to dispose of its humidity and heat
Our once silent hallways erupt with sounds of excited little feet
While one can only guess what some would do if they were dared
Yet, others seem so shy, nervous, and scared

From "Magic," by Dave Arnold

While summer break for school employees has come to an end. it’s just the beginning for new students. The first few days of class for kindergarteners and first-graders are often frightening and confusing. As I recall my first few days of school, it was not the teacher who removed the horror of this so-called new adventure. Rather, it was the Education Support Professionals (ESP) who helped me make the transition from spending my days playing at home to sitting in a classroom.

The Bus Driver

Although my older brother accompanied me to school my first few years until he graduated, the experience of starting school was made less frightening by my bus driver, Darrel Dievely. He always greeted me with a big smile and a hearty, "Good morning, sir." I soon learned that he wasn’t treating me special. Instead, he treated everyone as though they were members of his family. And, though I was leaving the refuge of home, Darrel gave me a sense of being safe while on his bus. He also showed great respect for older riders and often asked them about their family members, pets and school activities. However, Darrel wasn’t a push over. He never hesitated to put his foot down when it was needed. He lost his battle with lung cancer a few years ago, but I will never loose the memory of his smile and good cheer. 

The Secretary

Another smiling face was present each morning to greet bus loads of students. Being 6 years old at the time, I had no clue who the woman was or what she was doing at school. I assumed she was someone important. I learned that she was our elementary school secretary. A true VIP, Betty Eyestone greeted all of us while directing new students to their classrooms. She could spot that "lost look" in the thickest of crowds. Even as her health failed in subsequent years, due to a heart condition, she maintained her friendliness and professionalism.

The Custodian

When our class let out to the playground, we often encountered a gentleman sweeping our hallway. It never failed that even though he was busy, he took time to speak to students as they passed. He was also known to welcome visitors. Our teacher told us his name was Mr. Hipsher. She identified him as our custodian. Our school was just a few years old at the time. Mr. Hipsher kept it looking that way. He also did an excellent job of passing on some of his character traits and job skills to his children. For many years after Mr. Hipsher’s retirement his eldest son, Al, served as a skillful maintenance worker for the school district. 

The Cooks

No one ever had to tell me when it was time for lunch. My stomach’s built-in alarm clock was enhanced by the wonderful aroma of freshly baked hot rolls. This was the handy work of two fine cooks, Faye Austin and Geneva Williams. Day after day, they not only provided each student with a warm and nutritious meal, but also with kind gestures and warm smiles. Perhaps this isn’t true of all cooks out there in the world, but it is befitting of most school cooks who I have known. They bring a home touch to school.

As you can see, though my first days of school occurred more than 46 years ago, the memories are vivid in my mind. At age 52, those ESP who I met during that first year of my school career made a profound and positive impression on me and, I suspect, many of the other kids.

I suspect that students today are experiencing some of the same self-doubt that all of us go through during the first weeks of school. It’s not a job requirement, but I consider it our duty as ESP to encourage and protect students during this new adventure.

(Dave Arnold, a member of the Illinois Education Association, is head custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois.)

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NEA or its affiliates.