Potosi’s secretary, Tami Jo Taylor, does so much for our school. All the teachers and staff do a lot for each other and students, but Tami has a unique role in the building.
Tami is the Potosi High School secretary, but she's much more to Potosi High School than just a secretary. She is often our school nurse and helps our students if they are sick. She sometimes lets people stay in the office to rest, until they feel better and can return to class.
She gives students the help they need to feel better, like if someone's contact falls out and they don’t have an extra one, they can go to the office and ask for contact solution and Tami will give it to them if she has some. Tami is responsible for keeping student’s medicines at school because students are not supposed to hold them or keep them in lockers. If someone gets injured in school, she will be called to help with that situation.
Tami does a lot of work in the school office. She takes phone calls nonstop, does tons of paperwork, fills out reports, runs report cards, and checks everyone's GPA, attendance, and lunch account money. Tami does so much in the office that no one realizes how much work she does. That is typically a busy day for Tami.
“I've always wanted to work in a school district,” said Tami. She loves being around students and teachers and being able to help. “I enjoy working with the teachers and interacting with the students.”
Tami is an alum of Potosi High; Mr. Uppena was one of Tami’s teachers, as well as her Driver’s Ed instructor. Mrs. Hutchcroft was also Tami’s teacher, and now they are co-workers.
Before she started working at Potosi High School, Tami owned her own business cutting and styling people's hair. She went to Capri College and earned her cosmetology license. Tami “retired” and came to Potosi as our secretary and nurse. “ Doing people's hair was hard on my body because I stood for 8, 10, 12 hours a day,” said Tami. She went on maternity leave and stayed home for a while, then applied here at the school.
When Tami Is busy in the office, she is constantly answering the phone, and there are constant other interruptions. “Knowing how to multitask and understand what comes first as a priority can be difficult sometimes.” Her job is difficult because she has so many things to do and has to choose what needs to be done first and which task is more important than another one. Tami also coordinates subs for teachers who need to be covered, and she keeps track of which teachers will be out on which days. Tami does a lot of work beyond a couple of jobs mentioned here; she does more for this school than we will ever know. She works hard, and without her in the office, our school wouldn’t run smoothly.