WOODBURY — Whenever students walk into the guidance office, they might feel plenty of emotions. But no matter how they feel, Parks is able to help students before they meet with their counselor. 

Nonnewaug this year has welcomed Amy Parks, the new counseling secretary. Parks has a history of being involved in schools, bringing positive energy to her desk no matter what school she is at. 

When Parks isn’t welcoming students into counseling, she is a mother of three children who attend Nonnewaug: Chelsea Davis and Lucas and Ava Parks. 

“I’ve worked in schools for the last 10 years. Working with children is what makes me happiest,” says Parks. “This position is in school with my own kids, and they’re actually happy about that. And I’m super close to home.”

Parks is a crucial part of the school community. Many students go to the counseling office to seek help with school work, college, or personal issues. 

Parks does well with being in a position involved with many emotions. 

“School can be stressful,” Parks says. “Anything I can do to help you kids get through your days a little easier is what I want to do. I’m a mom, so I understand more than you think.”

Parks is adjusting to the school community, but she is committed to being a helpful mentor and advisor to the children in the building.

Students frequently visiting the guidance suite have explained a positive experience while going into the guidance suite. Students feel safe, comfortable and careful when they are in the presence of Parks. 

“Whenever I step into guidance, I’m instantly welcomed by our new secretary,” says senior Sophia Lingley. “One of the first things that I noticed about her is that she’s very calm and sort of quiet, which is an important quality to have when handling a student who is having a bad day.”

Along with witnessing kindness and compassion, students have also seen how challenging it can be. Some students respect what she does since they have experience working as secretaries outside of school at their jobs.

“It takes a lot to do her job,” says Lingley. “A secretary’s job is tough. Staying organized, managing appointments, making calls, and so many other things, is a lot to handle at once, but she handles it gracefully and carefully. She seems to be a great fit and I’m kind of upset that we seniors don’t have much time with her to see her grow. I’m very happy that she’s here.”

Staff members see Parks’ diligence in addition to the amount of effort required to hold her position. For her work, Parks collaborates with other staff members and counselors.

“I think she is very nice [and] I think she is professional,” Nonnewaug school psychologist Sarah Marshall said. “I think she is trying very hard to do a  good job at a very difficult job. So I think in terms of the counseling secretary specifically, you really have to have a good relationship with students. It is not an easy job, but she is doing a great job and she is super.”

Parks is responsible for organizing the office, setting meetings, answering phones, and greeting students.

“We have a lot of students coming in that are not having their best day,” Marshall said. “She has to be able to do that. The other thing she has to be good at doing is organization. There are a lot of different aspects .She is more specific to the counselors, but organizing all the different 504s and meetings while answering phone calls and collaborating with school staff – it is not an easy job, but she is doing a great job and she is super. “

Parks has utilized her skills to help students who need help in the office feel more uplifting. She now knows how to balance and handle a variety of tasks given to her.

“She needs to be the welcoming face that they see when they walk in,” Marshall says. “I think she needs to manage student concerns in terms of the level of who is going to be seeing who first. Sometimes we have a lot of students come in at the same time. She needs to pick students who need to access someone right now vs. the students who can wait.”

While Parks has  a lot on her plate,  she takes it as an opportunity to learn about different types of students. 

“[The highlight of the position is] talking with some of the students who come in here and getting a little glimpse into what life is like for you all,” says Parks.