Robins K-8 School

Maggie and Karla are both in their second year at Robins but are working together to learn the ropes.
 
Maggie came to the K-8 school after taking a break in careers to raise her children for a few years, but previously worked in the neonatal intensive care unit at one of the local hospitals. Robins is one of three Tucson Unified schools she works at. Karla came with 20 years of experience working in jails. 

Both pivoted in their careers to find a change of pace but were also interested in working with children. They’ve had their fair share of getting adjusted to working with school-age children, but there have been perks, like getting weekends off!

Rachael is in her eighth year at Robins, and in that time, she’s seen a difference in media representation surrounding the mental health space that has helped her be more efficient in her role.  

When walking into the counselor’s office, students are greeted by rugs, pillows, and boards with different feelings on them to help students identify with what they are going through. A lot of them include the Inside Out and Inside Out 2 characters, like Joy, Sadness, and Anxiety. 

Just having more representation has made it so students have better tools to identify and have their counselor better assess and help them. 

“My favorite part of each day is having the kids come in and be able to identify what they’re feeling and talk about that so they can go on and make changes to how they’re going to go about their day or how they can improve,” Rachael said.

When walking into Robins K-8, chances are the first people to greet you are Kristy and Kayla. Kristy is the Office Manager and has been at Robins for 10 years, while Kayla is the Attendance and Registrar, and is in her third year. 

Both ladies love starting their day seeing the students’ smiling faces and greeting families. 

“It’s nice to help and assist everyone that comes into the building,” Kayla said. “We’re very big on building a rapport with all of our parents and guardians that come into the school.” 

Although the pair have worked different lengths of time at Robins, they are a well-oiled machine and are able to tackle any situation, no matter how hectic it may be. 

“I don’t think a lot of people realize that, if they ever see us just sitting at our desk, they may think it’s an easy job, but we’re constantly behind the scenes [in multiple situations] even though we’re at the front of the school,” Kayla said.