RUSSELLVILLE - From her window at the entrance to Russellville High School, Judy Wilson has watched six years of teenagers and made good friends with her coworkers.
The students' faces change as the seniors graduate and a new freshman class moves up.
But this school year, Wilson has seen a lot of new teacher faces passing by from classroom to the teacher work room, across the hall from her office. She also has a new face in the principal's chair.
"I've never seen so much change," Wilson said.
The early teacher work days, before the students arrived, were busy, as Wilson was helping answer new teacher questions ranging from the community to computer systems.
Now that the year is off and running, she's getting to know the new personalities and is happy to see the tradition of taking care of one another prevails.
"It makes you proud to just be part of it," Wilson said.
Wilson has turned her attention to the upcoming School Carnival, a surrogate homecoming and the largest school-wide event of the year. At the Oct. 9 event, high school student organizations and middle school classes each host a game or activity booth. And royalty from the high school and middle school are crowned.
Everything goes through her office. With so many first-time teachers, the always-huge undertaking may need even more attention this year.
Coordinating this long-standing tradition and other additional roles have found their way to Wilson through the years.
"The longer I've been here, the more duties I've taken on," Wilson said.
Most recently, she is responsible for uploading music to the new bell system, which plays music for the last 60 seconds before the tardy bell.
"It's really helped with tardies," she said. "The students are excited to hear what's new."
No two days are the same from her chair.
"It's chaos from the minute I walk in the door until I leave," Wilson said.
She, or someone else in the office, answers every call personally. When a new phone system was installed in recent years, an intentional decision was made not to use a recording, she said.
Attendance is a demanding first part to her day. If a student hasn't arrived and there's been no communication, Wilson will follow up.
"I think most parents appreciate if their child's not here and they should be that someone's going to check on them," she said.
Between her frequented window and the phone, she's busy enough. But she also keeps up the school website, Facebook page, electronic marquee and school calendar. She also get to tap into her enjoyment of taking pictures at school activities.
"I try to get as many pictures as possible," she said. "Parents feel like they're involved in what they're doing."
Wilson likes the responsibility and the job, but it's the students that make it fun.
"The best part of my job is the kids," Wilson said. "I love them."
Some will come by just to say "hi" and receive a smile, while others sometimes need a non-authoritarian, listening ear.
"High school is hard," Wilson said. "These kids deal with so much more than we ever had to.
"Sometimes they just need somebody to listen to them and know they won't get in trouble."
Occasionally, she'll find little gifts left by the students, like the sticky note that read "To an amazing person - someone who cares."
Able to stay at home with her own three children while they were young, family remains central to Wilson's life.
In addition to her husband of 34 years, Brad, and their three adult children - Hannah, Adam and Cole - she has enjoyed her grandchild, Addison, 3, who lives across the road from her.
"She is one of those miracles you hear about," she said of Addison, who spent her first days after birth in a neo-natal intensive care unit.
"My faith is important to me. I look at her and know God is good."