Every day students wake up, say bye to their parents and head to school, not seeing their parents until later in the day — most do, anyway.

Some students never get a chance to say bye because their parents work in the school. For some parents, this is a dream situation. 

“I love it because my kids get to see me in my work environment, and I get to see them in their school environment, and I get to spend all day everyday with them which makes it even better,” said Assistant Principal Matt Davis, who has two sons, sophomore Matthew and freshman JP, at Chapman.  

Most people have different personalities for home, work and school, and when those overlap, it can be a challenge. 

Matthew Davis said that his dad is able to do it. 

“At home, he’s my parent, but at school, he really tries to just treat me like every other kid,” said Matthew Davis. 

It’s a little harder for some to separate home and school. 

“It’s hard because it all just intertwines with each other, and we just keep talking about the same thing over and over,” said freshman Ella Hollis, a student in her father Alex Hollis’s yearbook class. 

Alex Hollis said that for him, the dynamic is a fairly normal one. 

“Honestly, it has been as normal as possible,” he said. “When she’s in class, she’s just a student, and I’m just the teacher. There isn’t really much of a father-daughter dynamic going on.”

These parents get a unique opportunity that most parents don’t. They get to watch their kids grow and integrate into the high school environment and change into the person they are going to be. 

“It’s been fun to see her transition to high school and make new friends and just enjoy high school life,” said guidance counselor Carrie Pollard, whose daughter, Audrey Canada, is a freshman. 

Even as they watch, though, parents understand the importance of stepping back and letting their children make a name for themselves.

“I try to give her space so she can be her own person and not just my daughter,” said Pollard.  

“I feel like my mother does try to give me space in school and she has let me branch out and embrace high school life,” said Canada. 

Despite all the challenges that can come along with families being in the same building, both parents and students find a reward in having their family at the same school. 

“I get an amazing opportunity that most people don’t get to see my kids in their school environment and to see how they interact, and I get to have my kids at work with me,” said Matt Davis. 

“It’s okay, I guess, being in school with them because they get me food,” JP Davis said.