When students are sent to the principal’s office they usually fear the worst, but senior Russell Graves just figures it’s a question about his after-school plans.
“It’s nice to see him in school so I can ask him about something in person and not have to text him,” Russell said.
Russell’s father, Principal Dr. Walter Graves, enjoys seeing his son during the day and sometimes briefly is surprised when he sees Russell in the hallway.
“Since in most professions you’re not allowed to see your children, it’s a nice treat for me to get to see him during the day,” Dr. Graves said.

Some students might be embarrassed if they saw their parents in school, but senior Morgan Pilarski has enjoyed seeing her dad, janitor Al Pilarski, during the school day.

“We’re both crazy and we laugh at the same things,” she said.
She also said the convenience of having him there in case she needed something or had to talk to him has been great. Her father agreed. “Knowing she can come to me if she has a problem is the best part,” he said.
He said Morgan is his last child to graduate, and that there are ups and downs to her leaving. “I’m happy she’s graduating, but I’m sad I won’t get to see her every day.”

At Commencement, Supt. Dr. Randal Lutz will get to hand his daughter her diploma, an event that will be something special for him. For Carly Lutz, it will be just another normal activity involving her father. “I like having my dad around the school because we have a close relationship,” Carly said. One downside has been that it’s her dad’s job to call snow delays, and peers sometimes complained when they disagreed with his decisions.
For Dr. Lutz, having two daughters, Carly and younger sister Jenna, an eighth-grader, in district schools has given him a sense of pride. “I get a chance to see them and their accomplishments on almost a daily basis, and the direct impact I get to have on programs and activities,” he said.

After attending a small Catholic school, transitioning to the huge halls of Baldwin was a challenge, but senior Julia DeGregorio handled the change well with the help of her father. Counselor Kyle DeGregorio always had his door open for his daughter, and seeing a familiar face was very beneficial for her. Julia said that people often asked if it’s awkward to see her father, but she said, “I see him at home, so why would it be weird to see him here?”
Prior to Julia, DeGregorio had two other children graduate from Baldwin. “The rides to school are a lot of fun and a nice time to talk to my kids” DeGregorio said

Many students complain about their parents’ excessive grade monitoring on Skyward, but senior Jake Radomsky said his dad, science teacher Kent Radomsky, gets first-hand reports from his teachers. “My dad always knows how I’m doing in all my classes,” Jake Radomsky said. Despite the pressure of having a teacher as a parent, there are perks. “Jake used my classroom as a locker his junior year, but if he ever became unorganized, I would make sure his things went missing,” Kent said. Jake continues to use the science planning room’s refrigerator to store his lunch sandwiches every day. Jake is the oldest of seven kids, so this is a new experience for his father. “It was neat to start seeing him in the hallways. … This is the first time in 19 years graduation will be different for me, but after Jake graduates I have six more to go.”

Sometimes starting the year with teachers who already know a parent or relative is uncomfortable, but for Olivia Pfaff, it has been a very good thing. Her dad, Jeff Pfaff, is the head janitor at the high school, and he is well known by the staff. “So a lot of staff members know me and it’s comforting because he’s a good guy and it leads people to have positive ideas about me before they meet me,” she said.
Getting to see his daughter briefly after school is always a high point of Jeff Pfaff’s day. “Of course it makes my day to see Olivia. She’s always smiling,” he said.