The idea of having your parents come to school with you every single day seems like to most it seems to be such a bizarre idea, but for some it is a reality. Freehold Township high school embodies such a hard-working and charismatic staff, as well as a student body, so it isn’t much of a surprise that some of the students are actually related to the staff. If this doesn’t apply to you, the thought of a parent working at the same school you attends seems to be a complete nightmare, but the students who do experience such a thing, they actually would beg to differ….

Who is your parent and what do they do in the school?

• • Kirsten Withstandley: Mr. Withstandley and he teaches health and gym.
  • Jamie Shein: My mom is Mrs. Shein and she is a teacher in the workplace training program. She teaches 18-21 year old’s life skills and observes them at work.
  • Sabrina Amato: Mrs. Amato is my mom and she teaches in the workplace training program.
  • Asher Clissold: My dad is Mr. Clissold and he teaches both environmental science and earth science.
  • Anna Leuci: My parent is Mrs. Leuci. She is a job coach and paraprofessional. She is an aid for the students with special needs. As an aid, she takes the students out of school to different stores and local places to teach them basic work principles and prepare them to enter the workplace.

How long have they worked in the school?

• • Kirsten Withstandley: He has worked here for 14 years.
  • Jamie Shein: She has worked at Township for 7 years.
  • Sabrina Amato: My mom has been in Township for 5 or 6 years.
  • Asher Clissold: He has worked in the school for about 13 years.
  • Anna Leuci: This is her 9th year working in the school.

Have you ever had them as your teacher?

• • Kirsten Withstandley: No, I have not.
  • Jamie Shein: No, she doesn’t work in the department that my classes fall under.
  • Sabrina Amato: No.
  • Asher Clissold: He has never been my teacher.
  • Anna Leuci: She has never been my teacher.

What has been the weirdest thing about being in a school where your parent works?

• • Kirsten Withstandley: The weirdest thing would be when everyone asks me if I’m related to him.
  • Jamie Shein: She can come to my classes and she knows all of my teachers.
  • Sabrina Amato: The weirdest thing about being in school with my mom is when she is friends with all of the other teachers.
  • Asher Clissold: It’s weird to always have my teachers talk to him about having me in class. It causes him to talk about my grades a lot.
  • Anna Leuci: It is weird to see her everyday as a teacher in my school. I still like to bother her in the hallways and call her mom even though she yells at me to call her Mrs. Leuci.

What is your favorite thing about going to school where your parents work?

• • Kirsten Withstandley: It’s pretty convenient if I forget something.
  • Jamie Shein: I like that I can always go to her room if I forget something like money or a phone charger at home.
  • Sabrina Amato: I can always go to her room for food, coffee or money if I want to.
  • Asher Clissold: My favorite thing is I got to go on Mr. Auletta’s boat because he is friends with my dad outside of school.
  • Anna Leuci: I love having her in my school because she can heat up my lunch, give me money and if I forgot to have her sign my school papers, she can sign them before class. Also, for the first three years of high school she was able to drive me, so I didn’t have to take the bus.

Do they feel more like a parent or a teacher when at school?

• • Kirsten Withstandley: A teacher.
  • Jamie Shein: She feels like a parent even when in school.
  • Sabrina Amato: Still my mom.
  • Asher Clissold: He feels more like a teacher, and even sometimes acts like a teacher at home.
  • Anna Leuci: She still feels like my parent at school. But, I have to pretend she isn’t most of the time because it looks unprofessional when I act as if she isn’t someone of authority in my school.

Has there been a time where it was really helpful that they worked at the school you went to? If so, explain that time.

• • Kirsten Withstandley: It’s helpful to have him there at school with me incase I need a ride to or from.
  • Jamie Shein: Once I forgot to bring my essay printed out for a class, so I was able to print it out of her laptop in her classroom. This saved me in time for my class to hand it in.
  • Sabrina Amato: Whenever I forget to have her sign my school papers at home, I can quickly run to her room and have her sign them.
  • Asher Clissold: I always forget to get my papers signed or print my assignments so it’s really helpful to have him in the same school as me.
  • Anna Leuci: It’s really helpful to have her in case of an emergency or if I get sick, to just sign me out to leave school immediately. She is also really helpful when it comes to buying school fundraiser shirts and school apparel throughout the school year.