Temporary Dean

With the long-awaited return of full-time learning, students and staff have had to adapt to circumstances, as well as handle the stress that comes with it. In the wake of students struggling with their academics and emotions, the school board agreed to hire a temporary dean of students for both North and West, adding another necessary resource for students and parents. As Wildcats adapt to a semi-normal school year, they will now be able to rely on Gillian Pakula, a familiar face in a new role. 

Beginning on November 1 and until the end of the year, Pakula will fill this newly formed position. Principal Erin Kohl advocated for the addition. 

“I think [virtual and hybrid learning] was challenging and difficult for many students and so academically, we’ve been seeing it more of a struggle this year. Even more so, the social and emotional piece,” she said. “All the principals in other boards have been seeing the same thing. The principal at North and I had advocated with our executive team to have them consider adding a dean of students position to assist the social-emotional behavior piece to free up our two assistant principals to focus on the academic piece and be there more to support the teachers.”

The future of this response, currently a one-year only contract, will be re-evaluated in late winter and early spring. Pakula will have two essential roles to fill: to be visible to students and to respond and work with staff and students. 

“The dean will take reports of students and will work with them. Staff will go to the dean if they are struggling with a student or have concerns about a student and want a dean to help them or check-in with the student,” Kohl said. “They are another person parents can contact if they have concerns with their child or if their child comes home with an issue that hasn’t been taken care of.”

When it came to hiring the temporary dean, there was one trait the board seemed to agree upon, the ability to build positive relationships and hold positive connections. Kohl saw Pakula as a natural fit.

“Mrs. Pakula sees many students a day that she develops relationships with over the course of the year. She is also our head volleyball coach and gets to know students from that aspect too. She also works with the youth program and still has those connections with students once they reach high school,” she said. “She has also been a lunch supervisor, and she is actively engaging with kids, talking to them, getting to know them, and will talk to them if she doesn’t know them. She is the type of person who believes and seeks out those relationships with students.” 

To Pakula, the position wasn’t just about the title; she believes that if students need help, there should be a resource for them to turn to. 

“I personally feel that if there’s a position for extra help, I think I can fill that role and help kids and staff. In my head, it’s about moving kids forward, how to make them successful, how we can make sure they graduate,” she said. “If I can help be part of that, then I am very interested.”

Not only is Pakula the head volleyball coach and a physical education teacher, but she is also a part of the Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS).

“I have taken on roles in the building that I would call ‘teacher leader’ type roles in groups. I have been trying to organize and facilitate programs that help kids. One of those is PBIS,” Pakula said. “By being a leader in that, I became interested in the behavior aspect of why kids are doing certain things and how we can help.”

Pakula’s main concern is with attendance, especially with COVID-19 and the Delta variant spreading. 

“I feel that we are backlogged and there are a lot of things to deal with. Like with COVID, school is hard to get to or stay in for students. Attendance and making it to class is a concern, as well as knowing appropriate reactions and how to handle yourself in a school environment,” she said. “My hope is to teach those skills to students and be helpful for teachers on their end so they can concentrate on their curriculum and what they’re trying to teach. Maybe I can help those students who may be struggling so the class can keep moving and help whoever could fit in with that.” 

As the school year progresses, Pakula wants to make sure students are getting the help they need. With her new position, she hopes she can achieve that goal. 

“The biggest advice I would give is to communicate and try to be an advocate for yourself. Have a conversation with an adult about your situation or whatever it may be if you’re struggling,” she said. “If you have an issue with anything, reach out and make that connection because your frame of mind can’t see the bigger picture. When you’re going through it yourself, you may seem like it is the end of the world, and the feeling is completely real. But I can always offer suggestions to get over that challenge.”

Both Kohl and Pakula value the extra visibility by teachers in hallways or lunchrooms. Visibility to them is the key to a successful education.

“If students are worried about the new dean and if they don’t know Mrs. Pakula, they should stop in and meet her, or stop her in the lunchroom and talk to her and realize she is not here to dish out punishments for kids,” Kohl said. “Her job is to get to know kids and support them and help them. There is nothing scary about Mrs. Pakula and I think students will really enjoy getting to know her if they don’t already.” 

By Ruby Pluchinsky

Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 2

November 1st, 2021