A visit to the assistant principal’s office often is a moment filled with high anxiety for students and parents alike, unless the school is Parkville High and the assistant principal is Michele Patras.
Meeting in Patras’ office is like a day at the beach. The decor is both aesthetic and functional, drawing on the things that float this beach lover’s boat. The design upshot is a surprisingly fun space, where angry spirits can’t survive.
The conference sit-down begins in wooden beach lounge chairs brightly painted in Patras’ favorite Montego Bay blue to match the walls. Cool dolphins wearing sunglasses jump the waves in a repeat pattern on the border paper. Mini-sandboxes lining the office window sill display a miniature Zen beach scene. A large design of giant flip-flops on the floor tickle, and tempt, visitors to line their feet up with the outlines of the beach shoes. Wooden boats stand on end serving new roles as bookcases, and a surfboard holds reminder bulletins and messages.
“People arrive angry,” Patras said of students and parents who come to see her with issues to resolve. “We have a discussion, and no one’s upset when they leave.”
For Patras, school is her second home away from the beach. She works there long hours and decided at the end of the last school year she would extend her love of the sand and surf to her office. “I spend lots of time here, staying late hours,” Patras explained.
After 23 years as an educator, Patras developed a sixth sense about creating win/win situations with anxious parents and students. She knew it would begin with changing the scenery.
“I wanted a welcoming environment for students, teachers and parents.” So out went the old, stodgy decor with the intimidating, ill-fitting furniture. Patras ripped out the oversized bookcase that was attached to the walls, freeing up untold floor space and opening up design options. Her secretary, Michelle Scheppske, caught the wave and helped paint and put up the dolphin borders.
“We got paste and paint on our clothes and faces, giggled, danced and worked,” Patras said.
The enthusiasm spread among colleagues and staffers who still offer to add items to the office beach scene. Patras put the kibosh on the stuffed seagull idea from the science teacher, and it was weeks before she learned it was school custodian Edwiga Frazier who had secretly contributed three mesmerizing baby boats for the window sill.
Now, when people come into the office, Patras said, “Their faces light up.” And when they sit down on the beach chairs, “They relax.”
“When you are happy and smiling, people come and get happy.” She said. “I’ve never been happier coming to work. It makes me smile. I think of the dolphins wearing sunglasses and laugh.”
One last office renovation detail is to ditch the credenza. In its place will be a mini-pier with seashells and sand her husband promised to build for her.
