Rosendale-Brandon school secretary Jean Marchant receives Excellence in Education Award
KIEL, WI (WFRV) – Longtime secretary Jean Marchant received an Excellence in Education Award Saturday during a special ceremony at the Kiel Performing Arts Center at Kiel High School.
Judges honored her in the community involvement category.
Marchant was joined by her family and used the get-together to celebrate the joys of living in a small town and working in the same district for an amazing 37 years.
“I love my job,” Marchant told Local 5’s Michele McCormack who also served as emcee for the trophy presentation. “It has to do with the people I work with and the families and the kids. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be there. It’s so small. Smalltown U.S.A. yeah. It’s awesome.”
She began her career as Rosendale primary school secretary when a staff member went on maternity leave and eventually became the secretary.
Marchant shared a very small office with the superintendent, his secretary, and the bookkeeper.
Over the years the job has changed, from typing purchase orders, (yes on a typewriter) running Xerox copies, and working with students, staff, and parents, to managing an office (she has her own now) while sharing a principal with another building, besides all the evolving duties of a building secretary (ie. sometimes school counselor and nurse).
One of the hardest things for Jean was the era when schools had to start locking doors and wearing badges.
For obvious reasons, this had to be done, but it just felt like parents were not as welcome.
Marchant works hard to make sure parents feel a part of the school.
She has worked with many different people, especially 6 principals, and feels like she has learned to know and understand each one’s expectations and needs. Even though not always popular, Marchant learned the knack of knowing when students are trying to pull the wool over her eyes, whether it is being sick or sick of class, or needing some extra TLC.
“As a resident of the district and having her children and grandchildren attend the district I feel a vested interest in what happens throughout the district.”
Marchant is in her second generation of students, many of whose parents knew her a Ms. Jean, and in some cases, she is known as “Grandma Jean”!”
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