What would you say if you were told that five people help run a building with an average of 900 students, faculty, and staff? Impossible, you might say. Well, it’s not, because it is done every single day by five ladies at Hawthorne High School: Carol Savage, Susan Minimi, Monica Glodzik,  Donna Hartmann, and  Patricia Stapleton. Their jobs over the years have gotten harder due to multiple budget cuts and position eliminations. These ladies deserve a lot of credit.

The lady on the front line is Ms. Savage. She deals with a multitude of people every day. “The intercom rings all day,” she said as she received a call for the third time in ten minutes. Working in the main office is not easy, especially since she is the only one doing it.

Ms. Hartmann, in the Guidance office, seems to be the most impacted from the secretary eliminations. She deals with a vast array of things from student schedules to college visits. “I used to have help,” she said. She brought to my attention the actual scale of secretary cuts from recent years. A total of three secretaries have been cut from this school alone over a two year period.

In the Principal’s office, Ms. Minimi is working diligently behind the scenes to support Mr. LaGrone’s efforts as he works to make this school a better place for us. Before dealing with Mr. LaGrone you have to go through her. She is in charge of helping our principal stay organized. And she has been doing a great job being here through multiple principals.

Ms. Stapleton, in the Special Programs office, deals with the special students programs and teachers. She is essential to the Special Needs program in order for it to keep running smoothly. Her work is noble and behind the scenes, due to her office location, but important nonetheless.

Ms. Glodzik, in the Vice Principal’s office, is a very busy woman as well because she was unavailable for this interview. Her role is quite important in this building as she sees to all of the day-to-day activities handled by the Vice Principal’s office.

These five ladies are the only ones for the job. They are the backbones of the school. The school is in a better place with The Super Ladies of Hawthorne High School.