By Zianni Houston

At most high schools, students try to draw a line between home and school. For some, though, that boundary blurs the minute the first bell rings because their parents are not just dropping them off at school, they work here.

`For students like junior Claire Campbell, her sister, senior Liv Campbell, sophomore Ava Scisciani, and senior Grace Thomson, having a parent in the building creates a unique dynamic. 

This dynamic is sometimes comforting, other times awkward, and on some occasions, complicated.

 “It’s weird,” Claire Campbell said of attending the same school where her dad, Ira Campbell, is a guidance counselor. “I’ll just go to my dad’s office to talk about my grades or what I have after school. And he’s loud like, yelling down the hallway loud, so everyone knows when he’s around.”

Campbell said teachers and students often bring him up in conversation with her, assuming she has inside knowledge of some things. 

“Some people even complain to me about him, like I can change their schedules or something,” she added. That assumption that Campbell’s daughters  know the ins and outs seems to be a trend among other kids of school employees  

Ava Scisciani, whose dad, Chris Scisciani, teaches health, can definitely relate. “Some people think I know all the gossip or that I’ll snitch, or that I get special treatment. But really,” she said, “I’m just trying to live a normal high school life.” Still, there are perks like always having someone to run to when you forget your lunch or need a ride. “It’s convenient,” Scisciani admitted, “I know I always have someone in the building who’s there for me.

For some, the experience of going to school together has changed their relationship for the better.  “Once I started going to school with my dad, we got a lot closer,” said Campbell. “All the car rides, seeing him in the hall made us talk more.” 

Students of Rocket staff members have also admitted to having a better connection with their parents, “Our relationship has grown closer since she started working here,” Grace Thomson said of her mom, Lori Thomson, who is the district media specialist. “I love being able to stop by her room during passing periods just to chat.” 

Senior Liv Campbell, the older sister of Claire, has had a similar experience with her dad, but it has not always been warm and fuzzy. “He comes home and says, ‘I looked at your gradebook today,’ and I’m just like—can you not be my counselor right now?” she said. 

That fine line between school life and home life can be hard to navigate. Some students try to separate the two, while others accept that the overlap is inevitable. 

“At home, we talk about school less, but it still comes up,” Claire Campbell said .

“We don’t really have boundaries,”Scisciani said. “We talk about the same stuff at home and at school.” Friends also tend to reach out and seek guidance if they are in need. “Most of my friends don’t act different, but if they need something from my dad, they’ll definitely go through me,” Claire Campbell said.

 Scisciani said she notices similar behavior amongst some of her friends. “Some people avoid telling me things or joke that I can’t get in trouble because my dad is ‘Coach Scizz,’” she said.

There are opportunities that some of the daughters of employees have used to their own advantage. . “I’ve definitely texted my dad during class to come answer questions, or if there’s a food truck, the Barrio food truck being one of them, at school for teachers, I’ll head to his office and grab a taco,” Claire Campbell said.

 Liv Campbell comically recalled when a teacher only recently realized she was related to the guidance counselor. “She thought I was just some random girl with the last name, ‘Campbell.’”

Still, one of the biggest misconceptions these students face is the idea that they get special treatment. 

“I’ve never been handed a grade,” Claire Campbell said. “If I miss something, it’s a zero until I fix it.” 

Her sister agreed. “I didn’t get into my classes because of my dad, Liv Campbell said. “I earned those spots. I tested into them. I worked for them.” 

Some of the daughters interviewed said if they could alter anything about the experience, it would be to spend more time with their parents. Grace’s mom actually works as the librarian in both the middle school and high school so she is constantly going back and forth throughout the week. “The only thing I would change about this experience is make it so my mom is always at the school that I'm at,” Thomson said. 

In  the end, the experience of having a parent at school is a balancing act between being a student and being seen as just a connection to someone else. But it is  also a bond, a shared experience in a personal and academic setting . And for some, that closeness, though challenging, is something they have come to appreciate.

As Claire Campbell said, “It keeps things fun. It’s weird, it’s awkward, but it’s also kind of special.