In honor of our 50th Anniversary, The Calais School, a private special education school in North Jersey, has been sharing stories and experiences from different members of the Calais Community. Today we share the words of Calais Office Manager Samantha Helfer.

Calais would certainly be a lot different if it weren’t for our school community — the smiling faces of our students, the support of our faculty and staff, and the generosity of our donors! Among those who have made Calais such a special place is our Office Manager, Ms. Samantha Helfer. During her ten years of working at Calais, she has become well-known as the friendly greeter of all who walk through our doors.

As Office Manager, Ms. Helfer is the glue that keeps the Calais School together!  She oversees the day to day functions at Calais which is no small task. One might say her superpower is multitasking and her uncanny ability of knowing exactly what is happening at any given moment within the school building. She even knows each and every Calais student by name and makes them all feel welcome and important. Ms. Helfer does a lot to keep the school running smoothly from coordinating with the  transportation committee as students arrive and head home to keeping our school building safe and secure, and everything in between. A fun fact that you may not know about Ms. Helfer is that she enjoys refinishing furniture in her spare time.

 

Read more from her interview here:

 

Katie G. (Marketing Intern): What led you to join The Calais School?

 

Ms. Helfer: I was looking to make more of an impact on the lives of students without being a teacher. I get to help staff provide the best education possible!

 

KG: What do you enjoy the most about working at Calais?

 

SH: I love seeing our students grow during their tenure at the school.

 

KG: Over the years, what has been your favorite development or program added to Calais, and why?

 

SH: I love our internship program! Ms. Vallo [the Transition Coordinator] does such an amazing job at placing students in roles that will help them learn workplace readiness.

 

KG: What has been your fondest experience so far at Calais?

 

SH: Field day is always a blast! I love seeing staff and students interact and work together.

 

KG: How has working at Calais been beneficial for you?

 

SH: Calais has been instrumental in my growth as a person. I have learned so much about special education.

 

KG: What are your hopes for the future of The Calais School and the school community?

 

SH: I hope The Calais School can expand to help students of all ages achieve their goals.

 

 

Ms. Helfer’s hopes for Calais’s future are an echo of the principles our school was founded on fifty years ago and continues to uphold. Every relocation, expansion, ongoing tradition, and everyday moment has reflected and always will reflect our passion for helping individuals with special needs exceed their possibilities. 

The Calais School is a private special education school in New Jersey. Through highly engaging and innovative programs, we have been fostering academic, vocational, behavioral, social, and emotional growth in our students for 50 years. To learn more about our programs or about referring a student, consider attending our next Virtual Open House on Thursday, May 13 at 1:00 PM. Register now!