Going onto her sixth year of working in the office as the attendance secretary, Jennifer Ellison will be leaving Foothill to continue her journey in administration at Loma Vista Elementary School, as the Office Manager. When the opportunity to move up arose on Oct. 2, Ellison took the job right away.

Ellison’s job at Foothill was much more than just the “attendance lady,” but rather the back up in the office whenever anyone needed help: “calling in students, anything that [assistance principals] have going on and anything in the front office that’s needed,” Ellison said. Similar to her job at Foothill, she will be working in the office at her new job, doing a little bit of everything.  

The transition from working at a high school to an elementary school should be a smooth shift for Ellison, considering her job previous to Foothill was working part-time in the attendance offices of Junipero Serra and Saticoy Elementary School. 

This fit well for her at the time because, “I had little kids in elementary school so I would go and work and be done when they were out of school.”

After working two part-time jobs at elementary schools, Ellison was ready for a change. Foothill had an opening for a full-time job as an attendance secretary, which she took on.

For the past six years, her favorite memories include anything that makes the school stand out and unify like Air Guitar.

“Something like that just really shows you how the teachers can work really hard, and those that put it on just really want to bring the school together,” Ellison explained. She enjoyed seeing everyone sitting on the lawn and getting excited over the acts.

From the beginning of Ellison’s job at Foothill, she had only noticed gradual changes in most aspects around the campus, one being students. One drastic change has been the new sports department in 2014. “It seems like there is more spirit, more togetherness,” Ellison said.

The unity, staff and students are things that she will miss when she moves on to her new job. “Going from high school kids to elementary students, I’ll miss the high school age. And of course all the staff and teachers who work here, I’ll miss them” Ellison said. 

Ellison’s last message to students is simple: “No more tardy slips!”