What would it be like to go to school with your mom or dad as a teacher? There are a few students at our school in this situation. There are teachers in almost every department with a student who has attended or will attend Totino-Grace.

Students who have a parent as a teacher say they knew for the most part that they would attend TG. “My mother definitely influenced my decision to go to Totino-Grace. We would spend time here when I was little, and I just kind of grew up here.  I never really thought about going to another school,” said Anna Heebsh (Senora Wiemiller’s daughter).

They said that other students sometimes will make jokes about how their parents “do their homework”. Most of the students have not had their own parent as a teacher, but those who have did not find it much different. “I had my mom all of my freshman year and she would remind me when I had homework which was nice,” said Emma Wysocki (Mrs. Wysocki’s daughter).

For these students, it does not have much of an effect; it is just a bit of an adjustment. “It doesn’t really have a great effect on a normal day of school,” said Steven Hand (Mrs. Hand’s son).

“The only thing that’s different is that we have to get ready at the same time in the mornings and sometimes we carpool together,” said Madelyn Anderson (Mr. Anderson’s daughter).

If anything, they enjoy the comfort of having their parent around throughout high school. Their parents also know some students because they are their kids’ friends. Students with parents as teachers also enjoy that free tutor at home to help.

“It is nice because if you are having a bad day you can go talk to them or just see them during the day. It is awkward to have friends in your parent’s class,” said Killeen Wareham (Mr. Wareham’s daughter).  

“It’s nice to have parents as teachers because then they can help me with homework at home if I’m confused and need help,” said Bree Glynn (Mr. and Mrs. Glynn’s daughter).

All of these students have a deeper appreciation and attachment to TG, but all feel they receive the same treatment here. It is way more common to find a student at TG with a parent as a teacher than at a public school, which shows our sense of community.