As the 2025-26 school year begins, Amador Valley introduces Lisa Gardner, its new attendance clerk.
“Working at Amador is better than I imagined! I knew a few people that already worked here, and they are wonderful people, so I had positive expectations all around,” said Gardner.
Working bell to bell
As attendance clerk, Gardner is responsible for knowing where students are throughout the day. She keeps records of who is on and off campus, and she manages student movement.
“As attendance secretary, my responsibilities are to account for the students’ hustle and bustle of movement throughout the school day,” said Gardner.
While Gardner is new to Amador, she isn’t new to the job. Before becoming a Don, Gardner was working at the rival school, Foothill High School. Her experience there helped prepare her for the transition to Amador’s busy campus.
“Before working at Amador, I was doing the same job, with the same responsibilities at Foothill High School! I was transferred over here, to Amador, at the end of the ‘24-’25 school year,” said Gardner.
Although the responsibilities are the same, Gardner noticed a few differences between the schools. Despite Foothill and Amador being in the same district, they still have some differences in attendance procedures.
“Some of the difficulties my position faces are very minor, only that procedures here are handled a bit differently than at the previous school I worked at,” said Gardner.
Beyond the desk
Gardner works with high schoolers, but she was once one herself. In her teenage years, she was an avid photographer. She hoped to combine this skill with her love of travel in her career.
“In high school, my dream job was working on a safari as a photographer,” said Gardner.
While she now keeps track of teenagers instead of taking photos of tigers, Gardner still finds excitement in her work. For her, the best part of joining Amador is the chance to connect with people.
“What I am looking forward to is meeting more people here this year, and hopefully being a positive addition to the team of staff and students,” said Gardner.
