When Nancy Payton joined the staff at the brand-new High Plains School as a technology facilitator in 2015, she wasn’t sure what to expect. At the time, Thompson School District did not have any kindergarten-through-eighth-grade schools, and Nancy didn’t have experience working with middle school students.
Now in her 10th year at High Plains, her seventh as school secretary, and as one of eleven staff members who have been at the school since it opened, Nancy says she has learned to appreciate the older students just as much as the younger ones.
“I’m very proud to say I’m the first secretary to do a K-8 in Thompson for seven years,” Nancy says. “This school, I know the history, and I feel like I’m really a part of it because I was there from the beginning. I believe in what everybody in this school is doing, and I’m treated just how a teacher or anybody else is treated. I’m respected here because I’ve been here, but also because I’ve shown respect to others.”
Nancy’s job title is secretary, but at a K-8 school, that means she fills many roles.
“I’m a secretary, but also a bookkeeper, an athletic secretary, a secretary for the principal,” she says. “I’ve got four or five jobs.”
A typical day for Nancy (if there is such a thing) involves greeting staff members as they arrive, answering questions and phone calls, ordering supplies, working on budget matters, doing the family newsletter, assisting students, and covering for other staff members when needed, all while managing the front office of the school.
Nancy Payton Encourages Students and Families to Shine
Nancy started her career as a teacher in California before moving to Colorado. In Loveland, she taught for a year at Mary Blair Elementary School before being a stay-at-home mom to her three children. When she decided later to return to work, she wanted something that would allow her to serve students but without the same time commitment as teaching. She worked as a technology facilitator before applying for the High Plains secretary job.
“I love kids, but I think the thing I like best about this job is that I get to work not only with kids but with their families,” she says. “Being a parent is hard. You need to hear if you’re doing something good. We tend to always tell the students when they are doing a good job, but we forget about the parents.”
High Plains Principal Danielle Feeney says that the school is much better for having Nancy as a part of it.
“Nancy is a highly dedicated, thoughtful, detail-oriented, and true Bison-spirited person,” Danielle says. “I can’t have imagined doing the work we have the past 5 years without her. Nancy is the heart of our school. We are so fortunate to have her as the voice and face of our school when families, students, and community members visit our campus.”
For Nancy, being the first person many students see when they enter the building is a privilege she doesn’t take lightly.
“I’ve always told my kids growing up to be a light,” she says. “Even if you have a crappy day, you can still do something positive for somebody. Kids need to know they’re worth something. Everybody has bad days, but they need to know they are good … that there’s good in them.”
