“Pardon the interruption,” the iconic phrase echoes through each classroom.
The faceless voice you hear is Sharon Jiles and her voice is one of her greatest strengths, which she uses as a talented gospel singer at her church and to make announcements across Enloe. At her church, she sings primarily soprano one, but she is also capable of singing alto, tenor, and even bass. She has immense control over her voice with a hidden talent in impressions and vocal distortions.
Ms. Jiles has been at Enloe since 1998 and is vital in the functioning of our school. She began in the Special Education Department where she worked as a TA for 18 years, but for the last 9 years, she has worked as Enloe’s attendance clerk.
As attendance clerk, Ms. Jiles deals with parents that want to check-out their kid after 1:50 pm and students that are late each day. Each person has something going on at home, and the kindness that Ms. Jiles brings to each interaction leaves a lasting impact on these students. “I love people. I love to talk. I’m just a people person, and you definitely have to be in this position. I have to always be friendly to every person that comes in, even if they’re not friendly to me,” says Ms. Jiles. Even when you’re coming late to school half asleep, dog hair on your clothes, or when you leave from school early with a 105 degree fever, Ms. Jiles treats you with kindness and brings compassion and care to her seemingly straightforward job.
“She always has something positive to say, not only to teachers, but to students and parents too,” adds Tara Gullat, Enloe’s SAP Counselor, “she is just a burst of energy, she brightens up my day.”
Having known her for over ten years, Shammara Jones, the ALC, ISS, and Gradpoint Teacher at Enloe, can attest that “She’s always uplifting … She listens to what you have to say … even when you’re thinking everything is getting ready to fall apart, she helps you think about the blessings that you already have.”
“She makes you feel like you’re the only person there at that time when she’s communicating with you … Even when there’s a lot of people, she’s going to give you that little bit of time and send you off and tell you to have a great day,” continues Jones.
Ms. Jiles is a mother of three, a grandmother of nine, and a bonus grandmother of five. Nonetheless, she treats each child at Enloe as her own as she watches them grow over their four years. “[I get to] see them mature. The short ones grow taller, just like a baby … It’s so funny because they grow taller than me,” says Ms. Jiles. Ms. Jiles also treats all her coworkers as family, “She’s very family oriented and that trickles over here [to Enloe]. Once you get in her circle, she makes you feel like you’re a part of her family and not just a coworker. She’s very nurturing,” says Jones.
This year, the attendance office has moved to the West. Ms. Jiles now has more room and additional resources from the main office, but a hole has been left in the East. “We definitely miss her over here, but it lets other people know what she actually does … she doesn’t just take attendance,” says Jones. “She was in the East all these years, and now that she’s in the West, we go over there just to see her,” says Jones-House, a longtime friend of Ms. Jiles and Enloe’s Athletic Director stationed in the East Building.
Gullat, another close friend of Ms. Jiles, says Ms. Jiles would keep chocolate and gum stocked in her office, but she now has to supply her own. “I miss her being over here in this building, I miss her face in the morning time,” says Gullat. The tiny, dark, glass fish bowl in the East remains empty, but Jiles’ kindness and bright smile now lights up the West Building’s Main Office.
In addition to her abrupt change in location, Ms. Jiles has had to learn to use Infinite Campus. Ms. Jiles has been using Powerschool for almost 30 years, so the switch to Infinite Campus has been an upheaval. Over the years, her responsibilities have grown to be more than just attendance. Ms. Jiles handles correcting all attendance for field trips, educational trips, excused doctors notes, suspensions, check-ins, and check-outs, responding to emails from parents and teachers, calling classrooms, and filling in for other clerical duties when the receptionists are busy, all while greeting tardy students, making them feel heard and cared about.
One of the lifelong mysteries of Enloe is whether you press the “enter” button on the keypad once you put in your student ID at attendance and tardy stations. It turns out, at the attendance office, you should, but for tardies, it is not necessary.
As a longtime friend and previous neighbor of The Enloe Eagle’s Eye, Jiles holds a special place in our hearts. Thank you for all of your hard work and the everlasting and universal kindness you show. Next time you are being checked-in or checked-out, be sure to treat Ms. Jiles with the same respect and compassion she shows everyone; she’s an asset to our staff and community!
