When Anne Brunton started working for Thompson School District in 2015, her job in central registration was a temporary position with no set end date.
Ten years later, as Anne prepares to retire at the end of this year, she reflects on her years spent working for the district and the countless families she has welcomed into TSD. Anne serves as the initial point of contact for each family and helps link them with the schools they will attend.
“I take my job very seriously,” Anne says. “We are the gatekeepers of the information, so kids can get enrolled. Nothing happens until we process it.”
Anne is known in the district for her meticulous attention to detail, but also for her unique office full of her colorful collections, including Snoopy memorabilia, baseball souvenirs, and her playbills and posters (many of them signed) from Broadway shows and musicals. Anne says that filling her office with so many good memories is also part of her strategy in working with families.
“It’s an icebreaker; it gets people talking,” she says. “Some people, if they are upset, it lightens the mood.”
Holly Rockwood, TSD coordinator for Student Information and Assessment, says it is this thoughtful attention to others that makes Anne so great at what she does.
“Anne has every child’s needs in her foremost thoughts. Her office is inviting for all our new families, decked out with all kinds of conversation starters,” Holly says. “And her kindness doesn’t end in the Admin building. She’s at kindergarten registrations at most schools, and her favorite thing to do is volunteer with KidsPack! We love our Anne!”
Anne Brunton Brings Heart and Organization to Central Registration
Central Registration Secretary Drisana Stone echoes Holly’s admiration of Anne’s commitment.
“Anne has a big heart. She always wants to serve TSD students and families to the best of her ability. She has gone the extra mile time and time again,” Drisana says.
For Anne, making families feel at ease as they enter a new school district is a priority.
“Moms come in, and maybe they’re in tears, saying, ‘I don’t know how to get my kid into school. We want to know he’s going to be accepted for who he is and welcomed,’” Anne says. “I help them learn about their school, help them understand choice enrollment, help them find the school that’s the right fit. Now Mom’s not crying anymore. Someone listened to her and is in the game with her for having her student be the best that they can be.”
Anne knows what it feels like to be anxious about school. As a child, she found out she had dyslexia, a fact that, combined with her poor eyesight, made school very challenging. To compensate, Anne became so organized and paid so much attention to details that her teachers called her the most organized kid they had ever seen.
“I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t read or do math as well as the other kids,” Anne recalls. “I had to come up with a way to not screw up that kind of stuff.”
Looking Ahead to New Adventures
Now, despite having a team that Anne says is wonderful to work with, her commitment to her job and devotion to the details have resulted in a lot of long hours, and Anne is excited for her December retirement so she can get on with the business of traveling and seeing the world.
Anne’s adventures will start with an eight-week history tour of the United States in honor of the 250th anniversary of America. She is also excited to continue visiting baseball parks across the country — she is up to number 12 — as well as an extended trip to Europe in 2028. When she is not traveling, she will enjoy being able to spend time with her two children and her two granddaughters, including six-year-old Nora, with whom Anne has frequent Nana-granddaughter sleepovers.
“I’m done, I’m ready to travel,” Anne says of her impending retirement. “Although I won’t be traveling all of the time, and I might want a job — but not a job with any responsibilities. Maybe I’ll just do something simple.”
