While classroom teachers have been at the front of the COVID pandemic in schools, the unsung heroes, human resources personnel, nurses, and maintenance staff, have been working diligently behind the scenes to ensure smooth sailing in Warwick Public Schools.

Deb Cabral, a human resources employee for Warwick Public Schools, starts her day at 5 a.m., an hour and a half earlier than usual.

By 6 a.m., she has already collaborated with Bill McCaffrey, director of secondary education, and building principals to ensure all schools are covered with substitutes for the day.

“There have been many changes to our day to day tasks,” said Kim Ruggieri, HR director, in an email. “We’ve on boarded over 100 substitutes since September to help staff smaller class sizes, quarantines, positive or probable cases, increased cleaning protocols and ADA accommodations.”

Ruggieri entered the role of HR director in the midst of the pandemic, and says it’s difficult to judge just how much COVID has impacted her role, but she does know that much of her day is consumed by COVID.

“We have had to work to draft protocols and procedures regarding COVID reporting and absences. We had over 120 requests for ADA accommodations,” wrote Ruggieri. “I met with each staff member individually with the district ADA team to determine eligibility. Throughout the pandemic, each step of the way, I sent out messaging to the district to try to keep everyone informed and up to date.”

Now that the vaccine is available to public, private, and parochial teachers and staff in Warwick, Ruggieri is working alongside Superintendent Philip Thornton and the DOH to coordinate vaccine clinics for WPS faculty and staff starting last Saturday. The next clinics are Saturday March 20 and 27.

The clinic will take place at Warwick Veterans Middle School from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Second dose clinics will take place on April 3, 10 and 17. 420 doses will be available at each clinic.

Keeping the district afloat

While HR employees declined to be interview individually, Ruggieri said they have gone above and beyond to keep operations running smoothly.

For example, Donna O’Rourke in HR who has “tirelessly worked to bring in more people to keep our schools operational” said Ruggieri.

Then there’s Cindy Desnoyers, who works with Building Aides, a new position created by the district to support teachers and staff during the pandemic, as well as lunch aides and Teacher Assistant subs.

Maggie Wallentin oversees staff FMLA leaves (family and medical leave), which Ruggieri says is “many more than usual.” Wallentin also assists with COVID tracking.

Sue Wood has had her hands busy processing WISE retirements, which have been up since the pandemic started. Peggy Fitzsimmons, HR Office Manager, has “been inundated with fraudulent DLT claims which take up a great deal of her time—another byproduct of the pandemic,” says Ruggieri.

“It has truly been a team effort,” wrote Ruggieri in an email. “We all have our parts to play and everyone has really stepped up. Without the dedication of the HR folks behind the scenes, the district would not be able to be where we are.”

Ruggieri is proud to announce that since the beginning of the pandemic, the HR department has not closed or taken a day off.

Out of the ordinary for school nurses

Andrea Sharkey, nursing department head for the district, says her job is “completely different” than ever before.

“We’ve gone from seeing so many students in one day, but now we have to go to the students. I could see 30 kids a day. Now, they can’t freely walk the halls,” she said in an interview on Monday. “We don’t get to use our assessment skills very often. We have to assume that everything is potentially COVID.”

Sharkey is the nurse at Oakland Beach Elementary School, and has worked in schools for the past 31 years.

She said she’s become more of a liaison between the schools, parents, and the Department of Health. “The rules keep changing; it’s hard to keep up with all that.”

The biggest difference in Sharkey’s role is the reduced interactions with students. “We have less close contact with students. Before this, you could spend time with the students, whether they were sick or upset about something.”

Prior to the pandemic, Sharkey would see students for social and emotional issues, in addition to medical. She still sees students for injuries, medication, and of course lost teeth, but administration is asking teachers to keep the students in the classroom as much as possible.

“I used to see a lot of students who would come in with emotional issues, maybe bellyaches, a headache from a different issue, maybe something at home, or maybe they just didn’t want to do math that day,” she said. “Of course we’ll go see the students any time there is a need but it’s definitely stopped the number of kids that would come to my office.”

Sharkey’s typical workday looks different now than it did just a year ago. Each morning, She starts off her day checking for emails from parents or staff, alerting the schools if they themselves are sick, or someone is sick at home.

“Then it’s a lot of spreadsheets,” Sharkey said, laughing. “Anyone that has anything COVID related is supposed to enter their information, whether staff or students.”

Based on the data from these spreadsheets, Sharkey then “gets busy” contacting families, the Department of Health and staff in the building. “A lot of time is spent on the phone and emailing. It’s a lot more paperwork than in the past.”

A challenge for the department is the lack of nursing substitutes.

“A lot of the substitutes have other jobs, they work at the hospitals, and so they’re very limited to the time they can work. During COVID, we need a full time nurse in every building in order to remain open. It’s hard to find people,” she said.

“As a group, I think we’ve done a fabulous job. Nurses are excited to be here and helping with COVID. We really try to reassure staff that everything is being done scientifically and looking at the data,” Sharkey said.

Proudly serving the school community

Kevin Oliver, facilities maintenance and operations manager, says, “things have changed dramatically” for the maintenance department of WPS.

This academic year, custodial staff has increased by 90 employees, on top of the usual 100 custodial and maintenance staff, to accommodate for the COVID protocols and requirements, according to Donna Higgins, facilities maintenance and operations assistant manager.

It’s her job to coordinate custodial and maintenance employees, a job she calls “nonstop”.

Higgins has also found herself dealing with late night emails, trying to coordinate employees in quarantine, handling concerns from parents and staff, or fielding vaccine clinic questions.

Oliver now finds himself on the ground more than he usually is, supervising and checking on staff and supplies across each of the schools in the district.

“It’s a huge process that only three of us are handling,” he said.

Higgins said the custodial crews “are working through their breaks and overtime to ensure that everything is safe and clean.”

“We’ve even had folks from the maintenance crew step up to disinfect in the buildings,” said Higgins, who also mentioned that vaccine clinic set up and break down at Warwick Vets could not be possible without the “hard work” of these employees.

Betty O’Leary has worked as a custodial staff member in Warwick schools for the past 20 years, and has never had a year quite like this one. Prior to becoming a custodian, O’Leary worked as a substitute employee for four and a half years.

“It’s been challenging. But we’re able to work through it. I think we’ve been very positive,” she said in an interview on Friday. “I also feel that with the support staff that we have, it’s going just as best as we can expect to.”

O’Leary arrives at the school at 5:30 a.m. to start her day. Usually, she is the only custodian on staff during school hours. “The first thing I do is make sure that everything is working, like the heating systems and the fire alarm systems. Then I go on and do my cleaning; bathroom cleaning, deep cleaning, making sure that everything is operational in a safe manner. Soon as the cleaning is done, I go outside and clean the outside of the building.”

Greenwood Elementary is over 100 years old, but you wouldn’t know it looking at the spotless floors, illuminated by sunshine streaming in through crystal clear windows. No cobwebs hide in corners; no dust bunnies roll along the hallways. O’Leary keeps the building looking sharp.

“After that, it’s time for the kids to come in,” she explained. The school day starts at 8:35 a.m. “And then it’s lunchtime. After lunch, we’re continuously cleaning the bathrooms, which is paramount right now. When the children are done with their lunches, I prefer to clean their desks. So I’m cleaning every desk in every room every day. We want to make sure they’re properly disinfected. It doesn’t sound like it takes up eight hours a day, but it does.”

O’Leary paused to greet students entering the building, giving each one a wave. Even with her mask on, you know her smile is there. The students wave back.

“Good morning Miss Betty,” says a first grader.

“There have been times where I’ve put in seven miles a day inside this building. And that’s what people don’t see. They expect it, but they don’t see that. It is stressful, but we deal with it. We do the best we can every day,” she said.

Prior to the pandemic, Oliver explains the typical custodial day would be much simpler. “It’s out of the ordinary. Usually, they’d come in and get their set schedule for the day. But now, it’s constantly evolving. There are a lot more moving pieces.”

Oliver described dealing with cleaning supply shortages particularly at the beginning of the pandemic, increased cleaning protocols, and the possibility of closing a classroom due to a positive COVID case. In an interview, he described struggling to source cleaning supplies, especially as prices jumped. “It’s getting better, but for awhile it was difficult to get gloves, cleaning products, or sanitizer. There was a scramble for materials from everyone, so we loaded up on sanitizer and other products,” he said.

Because of the diligence in the maintenance department, no additional orders of cleaning supplies have been needed.

“It’s not just one thing. It’s not just cleaning toilets,” said O’Leary. “It’s just like your home, taking care of gutters, roofing, exterior, heating systems, plumbing. I’m taking care of my big home. As public servants, that’s what we’re asked to do, and that’s what we need to do. We serve proudly.”