OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — This segment may be called Teacher of the Week, but there are other figures inside the school building helping to make sure our students thrive while at school. This time, a viewer reached out asking that we recognize the secretary at Bauerwood Elementary School in Jenison.
Principal Sam Lemmon said the school secretary, Jill Vanelst, “is extremely deserving” of this recognition.
“It’s quite the honor because I love my littles and it’s nice to be recognized,” said Vanelst.
She grew up in Grand Rapids and said, “My dad taught for almost 40 years at Grand Rapids Public Schools.”
Her school career started out in the classroom. She used to be a substitute at the district’s high school.
“I loved the big kids but my littles are where my heart is and it’s the perfect place to be,” said Vanelst.
It seems now she may have found her true calling.
“I have quite the flow that comes in every morning. That’s how my morning starts. I have kids that come in. I call it the hug train because that’s how they start their morning,” said Vanelst.
Lemmon told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that when it comes to “her job, I don’t think a lot of people really understand how challenging it is but she is managing the phones, helping kiddos that have medical needs, talking to parents, helping managing the day-to-day runnings of the school.”
She’s been the secretary for a little over five years and said, “I have 550 people here that I take care of every single day.”
The principal explained that the school wanted to make this celebration extra special, even inviting Vanelst’s husband who’s also in education and works for Grand Rapids Community College.
“Kids brought her flowers, some kids said they love her, some kids gave her hugs, a lot of kids made signs that – there’s this sign in the office, ‘Who rules the world?' Miss Jill does,” said Principal Lemmon, adding that, “Her job really is thankless. You don’t hear a lot about, ‘oh, we have a great secretary.’ You hear great teachers. You hear school test scores, but the people in a school are really what make it great for kids.”
If you have someone you’d like to nominate as our next Teacher of the Week, just text the word “teacher” to 616-559-1310.
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