An inside look at the new monitors walking the halls
The hall was formerly monitored by teacher on their free hours, but the school hired official prefects this year.
Students returned from their summer break this year to find a new group of prefects walking the halls and checking passes. Mr. Jim Heise, Ms. Jennifer Konschak, and Mr. Mike Hickey were hired to watch the hallways. In the library, Mrs. Joanna Rooney was hired to ensure a quiet study space for students.
Due to the budget cuts of the 2012-2013 school year, several changes to the duties of faculty and staff took effect. Those changes include an increase in the teaching load by one extra period, now six periods as opposed to five. As teachers are now only required to monitor the halls for one semester, effectively cutting the amount of available hall monitors in half, the administration brought aboard three new hall monitors and library monitor to patrol the hallways and ensure the library remains a quiet study area for students.
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Mr. Heise, one of the new prefects that monitors the halls at BSM, has been retired for 11 years and holds a number of jobs, working at the census bureau, a golf course in the summer, and Cub Foods. “I’d say the hardest part of the job is staying on my feet and walking for six hours” says Mr. Heise.
Ms. Konschak spent her time as a stay at home mom before being drawn to BSM because of her friendship with theology teacher Ms. Holly Hoey-Germann. “[The best part of the job is] just being around the kids for the day,” Ms. Konschak said.
Coach to both Varsity and JV lacrosse teams, Mr. Hickey is a former member of the military who describes the best part of his job as being able to keep a closer eye on his players in school, and the worst part as having to repeat himself to students. “It’s not hard to get a pass, so stop being lazy and get one, or I will catch you,” Mr. Hickey said.
As a former substitute teacher, Ms. Rooney worked for the Robbinsdale School District and now helps out in the library, making sure it’s a quiet study space and helping students in whatever ways she can. “The kids are all really friendly, and I enjoy working with them,” Ms. Rooney said.
