Celebrating our staff on Administrative Professionals Day
From left, Cindrich Elementary principal Patty Maharaj, head secretary Cathy Tocher and vice-principal Laurel Smith. Tocher is being celebrated on Administrative Professionals Day for her hard work year-round at Cindrich.
April 27 is Administrative Professionals Day, and Surrey Schools is taking today to recognize all our office staff for their hard work to keep the district running smoothly!
Administrative Professionals Day celebrates secretaries, clerks and other administrative staff for everything they do, in district offices and at schools, to support our principals, teachers, support staff, parents and students in accessing the assistance and resources they need. This year, we’re shining a spotlight on Cindrich Elementary head secretary Cathy Tocher, who is new to the role but has already made a lasting impact on the school community with her hard work.
“Cathy is a kind and caring professional that has the well-being of our students, parents, and staff at the heart of what she does,” said principal Patty Maharaj. “She comes to work with a positive attitude and knows that her positivity is what starts our staff and students’ days off on the right note.
“She is such a hardworking person and is willing to go the extra mile for all members of our community. She approaches every challenge with kindness and is always wanting to support in any way she sees possible.”
Maharaj said Tocher has already made strong connections with students, exuding a passion for learning about them and going above and beyond to get to know them.
“One of our students loves to visit Cathy in the office – every morning, the student arrives with her Education Assistant to greet Cathy,” said Maharaj. “Together, they work on building her English vocabulary by using stickers and stamps of different animals and numbers. Cathy always greets our students with a smile and makes the office space a warm environment for them.”
Tocher’s responsibilities stretch beyond standard clerical duties. Maharaj said during the pandemic, Tocher took on the tasks of ensuring the school was stocked with health and safety supplies like masks and hand sanitizer, as part of additional steps to ensure students and staff felt safe at school. She also keeps on top of putting in work orders with maintenance staff – from fixing light fixtures to unplugging sinks – to uphold the safety of the building and ensure a safe, positive learning environment for students.
“She maintains a sense of calm when interacting with our community,” said Maharaj. “When staff have a question, they know that Cathy will be able to find a solution. It is having an all-around trustworthy person in the office that makes our community feel at ease.”
“She is someone that we, as an admin team, can rely on for anything. She has been an amazing addition to our office team and we are so, so lucky to have her.”
Tocher is just one of the shining examples of administrative professionals who work tirelessly throughout our district, and we wish to recognize them all for their amazing work every single day! Thank you to all our Administrative Professionals for going above and beyond for our schools!
