Students at Fancy Farm Elementary school in Kentucky are used to seeing their principal pitch in to get things done.
Janet Throgmorton has been the principal of the grammar school for the past 11 years. She’s known for wearing many hats in the best of times, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, she took her efforts a step further!
With staff shortages coming up left and right, any given day will find Janet helping out in several different areas of the school. Perhaps she’s serving up hot lunches in the cafeteria or emptying trash barrels at the end of the day; anything to keep their doors open and their students safe!
“You help where you need to help because that’s what you need to do,” Janet told GMA. “We’ve been short custodians, so you help take out trash. Our goal for the entire school year is to have kids in these buildings because we definitely believe that’s where the best learning takes place.”
Two years ago, Janet got her commercial driver’s license so she could save the school district money by operating the bus for field trips. That license turned out to be a godsend when two of her bus drivers came down with COVID-19.
Janet immediately stepped in for the drivers by taking the kids home every afternoon.
“The first couple of times I drove, it was really comical because I’m on the bus as the bell rings, as the kids are dismissed,” she explained. “The kids are like, ‘Why are you driving the bus? Do you know how to drive the bus?’ I say, ‘Yes. I got my license to do it.'”
Before and after school, Janet spends time disinfecting the seats, while the kids must sanitize their hands, wear masks, and practice social distancing. This dedicated educator has even been known to drive students home in her own car if they miss the bus. Not only that, but she also made house calls to children who were struggling with remote learning!
“It’s been very difficult for bus drivers, aides, cafeteria workers – it affects every aspect of what we do,” she said. “Although COVID hasn’t affected kids very much, you still consider schools a germ area. We don’t blame them.”
The exemplary principal has nothing but praise for her fellow educators for all the work they’ve put in this year!
In Janet’s experience, all the extra time and effort needed during the global health crisis has helped her form an even tighter bond with her students, and that makes it all worthwhile!
Janet is the kind of administrator who doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty. As the old saying goes, it’s not really work if you love doing it!
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