Ms. Diana Santos is the new Attendance Clerk here at Pacific Grove High School. I asked her a couple of questions about her role and background to get to know her better. To begin with, she is bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish. Originally from Monterey County, Ms. Santos spent twenty years in San Francisco working at UCSF medical center, San Francisco University, and San Francisco Unified School District. Before coming to PGHS, she worked at Community High School as the office manager.
The first question I asked was “what specific skills or experiences from your time at UCSF do you think will be most valuable for your time here at PGHS?” She was a diet clerk where she managed the dietary orders and restrictions of her patients at Parnassus and Mount Zion hospitals. What her job at UCSF taught her for her current job is communication and professionalism. In the hospital setting as well as the attendance office, she needs to have effective communication skills and be professional.
In prioritizing the tasks she must tackle on a busy day with competing demands, she said she handles them with the highest priority first. Then, she can move on to things like checking emails and taking calls from parents, and updating the system regularly to ensure teachers have up-to-date information. During the day there are fewer parents calling/emailing so then she prioritizes writing passes and excuse slips. One thing she wants students to know about her is that she is a very positive person, she wants to see the glass half full and the best side of everyone. Also, her favorite thing about working at PGHS is the students. She loves to connect with us and get to know us. Lastly, if you’re in A hall, make sure to go introduce yourself to Ms. Santos!
