Lab technician, receptionist, principal’s assistant, maintenance officer, music secretary, WHS rep, teacher’s aide – Jennifer McMillan has done it all, writes Sue Osborne.
Long-time IEU member Jennifer McMillan started her career in education at Trinity Anglican College in Thurgoona, NSW, 22 years ago. At the time, the school had only 14 students.
She had previously worked as an optical dispenser, so lab technician was a natural fit for her. But she is also the school’s music secretary.
“I started with the science department in 2014. Before science, I worked in the front office, working with the inaugural principal, doing student services, first aid, marketing and giving tours of the college,” Jennifer says.
“I have an active interest in music, I played at school myself. I also did a lot of voluntary work over the years. Six years ago, I was offered the opportunity to not only work in the science labs but also in the music department.”
Jennifer has watched the school grow to its current cohort of more than 1000 students.
Music secretary
As music secretary, she could be doing anything from hiring instruments, ensuring instruments are serviced regularly and helping bands with sheet music to ordering music and equipment, cataloguing scores, organising music camps and eisteddfods and helping with timetabling and in-services. She can also be found playing trumpet with the wind bands.
Music secretary: My perfect day
Jennifer describes what she may have planned as music secretary:
- 7am – set up rehearsal room for wind band rehearsal with visiting tutor
- 9am – have a trumpet lesson myself
- 9.30-3pm – general admin duties, which currently includes cataloguing 50kg of music scores, welcoming a visiting band followed by a performing arts evening, and
- 3pm-5pm – assist with training a band and playing with the trumpet students; ensure all students are collected by parents at the end of the session.
Music secretary: My typical day
Jennifer describes what’s more likely to happen on a typical day as music secretary:
- unexpectedly called on to help with other music tasks, organise catering for an event, follow up students who haveforgotten to bring their music
- help wherever needed, for example, restringing a guitar, looking for an appropriate electrical lead, and
- may be called to the science department to be on hand for a senior practical.
Lab technician
As lab technician, Jennifer has to ensure the labs are ready for use each day, coordinate the preparation of all practicals, make sure all labs, classrooms, storage and office areas are clean and ready for day-to-day operation. She sets up apparatus, maintains equipment and organises repairs where necessary. She also checks stock and orders chemicals, as well as ensuring chemical storage and other WHS lab tasks are carried out correctly.
Lab technician: My perfect day
Jennifer describes a day she may have planned as a lab technician:
- checking risk assessments for pracs to be prepped
- ensuring all labs are ready for classes and nothing has been broken
- feeding the fish, watering the plants
- packing away completed pracs
- working on our lab grand plan – the complete ‘where is it’ list of lab equipment and storage, and
- pot a plant cutting.
Lab technician: My typical day
Jennifer describes a typical day as a lab technician:
- going to Bunnings and the Reject Shop for materials for 125 Year 7 students to build a rubber-band boat and for 115 Year 8 students to construct a mousetrap car
- grabbing equipment for the Year 9 students’ rocket launch
- packing away radiators and aluminium cans, and
- cleaning, sorting and classifying equipment.
Jennifer says no two days are ever the same. “I love the wonderful colleagues I get to work with – and the sheer wonder of their musical knowledge and virtuosity,” Jennifer says.
“In science, there are never enough hours in the day,” she says.
