HUDSON, N.H. — It doesn't matter the season, this Early Learning Center administrative assistant is going to be outside enjoying all of New Hampshire's wilderness. In the latest Hudson School District Faculty Q&A, we sat down with Mrs. Romano from Dr. H.O. Smith School, who discussed her love of the outdoors, her experience around the district, and what makes her school community so connected.
Q: How long have you been working in the district, and how long have you been here at H.O. Smith?
A: I first started in the district at Alvirne High School after I worked for Wang Labs and graduated from Northern Essex Community College with an associate degree and a few other certificates. I worked at Wang Labs for five years, then the company started to go downhill. From there, I decided I wanted to do something else, and I was thinking about going back to school to become a teacher. I saw there was an opening at Alvirne, and I got the job to become the admin assistant to the principal. I figured I could segue that experience of working in a school to become a teacher, but then I really liked working in the office, so I stayed there for 10 years. From there, I wanted a change, and I became the benefits coordinator at the SAU for a year. I left because I really liked working in a school, and I had a young daughter. I went out to Library Street School, and I was there from 2000 to 2014. After that, the district had some reconfiguring, and I’ve been here at H.O. Smith since 2014. I’ll be here in the district for 37 years in September.
Q: You mentioned you worked for Wang Labs. What kind of company was that, and what kind of work were you doing?
A: It was a computer company. When I graduated from college, they were just starting with the cutting edge of computers. The big buzzword was word processing, and we were learning all about it. I also got a certificate in computer science because it was the way the world was going, so it was huge when I got a job at Wang Labs. It was just a different time. Things have changed over the years, and you have to keep up with them.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you in your current role?
A: A typical day for me starts with getting substitutes in the building. That can turn into a half-hour or two-hour job. You have people who need coverage left and right for any reason. Then, as soon as that bell rings, there are students and parents coming in. The most important thing is getting the students into the building safely and getting them to their classroom. Everybody joins in on that, and there’s plenty of radio chatter to make sure everyone is in safely and gets what they need. I also manage the doors throughout the day and handle deliveries. There are a lot of safety concerns that are involved with this job, in case we need to call in an ambulance or if there’s a fire. The job also includes writing checks, budgeting, and purchasing.
Q: What does one of your crazier days look like?
A: I think the crazy days are when we have an emergency, especially a medical emergency. There are a lot of dotting i’s and crossing t’s, and the whole staff is involved with that. It’s just being aware of who you need to call and making sure that the children are safe. Emergencies are the toughest thing because we have everyone safe and taken care of.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I spend a lot of time with my family. My husband, my daughter, and her husband are a huge part of my life, and we do a lot together. In the winter, I like to cross-country ski. In the other months, I like to hike, kayak, and play pickleball. I don’t really like sitting around. And that’s something that I like about this job, where it’s always a different day. Sometimes you have to stop what you’re doing to call an ambulance or get involved or help out at lunch. I never wake up thinking that I don’t want to come to work because there’s always something different going on. I love taking care of the staff, running the office, and I have great people that I work with.
Q: I’ve tried to cross-country ski once or twice, but surely not as well as you. Where do you typically go?
A: Bretton Woods has a lot of good downhill skiing, but they also have cross-country skiing. We really like to go north. We’ll do a bit of hiking and biking on rail trails, which is nice. We’ll also play a lot of pickleball. It’s nice.
Q: How have you seen the district change and evolve over time?
A: I would have to say safety protocols. Everyone is always trying to find a new way to keep everyone safe. Everyone always seems to have something different to offer, and you just have to keep an open mind.
Q: With you in your role, and all the administrative assistants in the district, I feel like you have a good pulse of what’s going on in the building. From your perspective, how would you describe the school community here at H.O. Smith?
A: I can tell you that every time I changed buildings in the district, it felt like I was leaving a family, and it was a very tough decision. It’s really like a family here at H.O. Smith and at Library Street School. If I were to call out to someone and tell them I need help in the main office, I would have 10 people come to help me. Everybody pitches in to help with whatever is needed. Whatever we have to do, we get it figured out. I think that also spills over to the children and the families. We are working together, and they want to work together with us. It’s a really nice family situation, and that’s why I love it.
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