While the quiet tapping of computer keys may not show it, many things are occurring in the middle school attendance office. Disoriented sixth graders constantly stumble through the door, barely able to see over the tall office desks. Teachers constantly forget to send in their attendance records. Mei Tan, the attendance clerk known solely as “Mrs. Tan” at Richard Henry Dana Middle School (DMS), deals with all of this on a daily basis.

Mrs. Tan is almost always seen behind the desk in the DMS attendance office, typing emails, notifying parents, and helping the middle schoolers, among other important things. Behind the scenes, she makes sure that she knows where every single student is during the school day, while still helping every middle schooler that comes into the office.

Transitioning from being a homemaker to the workforce, Mrs. Tan had always wanted to be in a career that dealt with children. When she was younger, she would volunteer to babysit her neighbor’s kids, because she loves children that much. So, when her children were fully-grown, she got a “retirement job” at DMS. She wanted a job in which she could contribute to society, and in addition, the she liked the work environment in the school office. Not to mention, she knows what she is doing, so she is very satisfied with her job.

When asked why she wanted to work at a middle school, Mrs. Tan explained that she liked the fact that it was a “happy job”, and that middle school is a transformation period for the students. Every year, she gets to see little boys with high-pitched voices grow two feet, slight mustaches, incredibly deep voices, and maturity. She enjoys seeing the kids evolve from small, shy children to slightly awkward young adults.

We often don’t think of office workers when we think of the people who make our lives possible. We think of teachers, parents, and police officers. However, in addition to managing our attendance records, they really do help all the students with any school-related problems.

On any day, you could walk into the office with a problem, and the office staff would help out in any way they can. That is just what they do.

Many students come back to talk to Mrs. Tan, even after they have moved on from middle school. This is because they like to get advice and information for high school and the future.

Mrs. Tan and all of the office staff do a lot to make sure that our middle school runs smoothly, and that anyone who comes to see them has a brighter day.