THE CALLIE
October 2026 - Fall Edition
Happy Fall! I hope that everyone is off to a great start to the school year! We can also start enjoying a little cooler weather.
As we plan for the 2026–27 CAEOP Conference, I wanted to make sure you save the date: March 4–6, 2027! This year, the conference is in Pismo Beach and will begin March 4th with pre-conference registration and a night of “meet-and-greet” for attendees. The full conference begins March 5th with featured speakers to provide excellent professional growth, vendor shopping, a spirit luncheon, and even a drawing. Day 2, March 6th, will include a closing keynote with inspirational ideas to support both your work and personal life. Saturday will also showcase the awards luncheon along with more drawings to win great donated baskets! Of course, the conference ends with the Saturday Evening Celebration Dinner and Installation of our new President and Board members for ’27–’28. I hope to see you all there!
My theme this year is “Knowledge Through Books.” I want to encourage you all to read! There
is so much to be gained from reading a delightful book—we can learn something new, relax,
or enjoy a little laughter and suspense. The possibilities are endless! If you read just one book
before Christmas, I know you will be glad you did. Let me know how you do!
Connie Vargas
CAEOP President
CAEOP Poster Contest
All California schools are invited to participate in the CAEOP annual poster contest. We will announce the winners at our Annual Conference, held March 4-6, 2027. The theme is "What I Love about School!"
Complete details regarding the poster contest, along with the entry certification form to attach to each poster, are available at the link below. Feel free to duplicate and share this information with schools in your area. Entries must be postmarked by February 2, 2027.
Kern Association of Educational Office Professionals
The 2026–27 KAEOP Board was installed during the regular meeting on June 11, 2026. Members recognized Mary Alice Means for her service as Interim President. Upcoming plans include community service projects with the California Living Museum (CALM) and the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra’s NEXT program. Also in the works are monthly Canva training sessions, a December holiday brunch, and the annual awards luncheon at the historic Bell Tower Plaza in April.
Leslie Aguilar
KAEOP 2026-2027 President
Riverside County Association of Educational Office Professionals (RCAEOP)
Hello Office Professionals, Family, and Friends,
As we begin another exciting school year, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all of our educational office professionals for a successful and rewarding 2026–2027 school year. Each new school year brings opportunities to learn, grow, and discover new ways to make a meaningful difference in our workplaces and the communities we serve.
I encourage you to make this year a transformational experience by continuing to develop your skills, expand your knowledge, and embrace new opportunities. As office professionals, we play an important role in supporting students, staff, families, and our educational institutions. Investing in our professional growth not only helps us stay current in an ever-changing workplace, but also allows us to provide the highest level of service to those we serve.
As always, I warmly invite you to visit the RCAEOP website and participate in our upcoming workshops, activities, and networking opportunities throughout the 2026–2027 school year. We are always excited to welcome new members and individuals who are interested in becoming involved with our organization and Executive Board.
This year, we are especially excited to explore how emerging technology can support the work of educational office professionals. RCAEOP is tentatively planning an AI-focused workshop on November 10th in partnership with our affiliate organization, CAEOP. The workshop will provide an opportunity to learn more about artificial intelligence and explore practical ways these tools may be used to improve efficiency, streamline processes, and support our day-to-day work. Additional details will be shared as they become available.
We also encourage our members and supporters to stay connected with CAEOP and take advantage of their professional development opportunities and annual conference. CAEOP continues to provide valuable opportunities for educational office professionals throughout California to learn, network, and share best practices. Please visit www.caeop.org for additional information about upcoming events and opportunities.
Lastly, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of our RCAEOP & CAEOP members, supporters, and colleagues. Organizations like RCAEOP & CAEOP provide us with opportunities to build relationships, share experiences, develop new skills, and grow our confidence as professionals. Personally, being involved in RCAEOP has allowed me to expand my skill set, connect with fellow office professionals, and become more confident in sharing my experiences with others. I invite you to become part of our professional community and take the next step in your professional journey.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to another year of learning, connecting, and growing together.
Juno Fernandez Stevens
RCAEOP President
Professional Incentive Program
Advance your career and distinguish your resume with CAEOP's Professional Incentive Program (PIP). The PIP offers recognition and incentives for your achievements in leadership, education, and professional growth. You can find the applications for CAEOP PIP certifications and National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP) PSP certifications on their websites. Contact PIP Chair Linda Rush, CEOE for more information: lrush13@roadrunner.com.
From Paper Jams to Patch Cords: A School Office Then and Now
Have you ever noticed how many announcements we make in a single day?
“Mrs. Smith, please call the office.”
“Reminder: Faculty meeting after school.”
Repeat… and repeat again.
Today, making an announcement usually means picking up the phone, dialing the paging code, scrolling through a long list of extensions, and hoping you selected the right group before speaking. It’s efficient, but let’s be honest — it can become a little monotonous after the twentieth announcement of the day.
It got me thinking about the school secretaries of the 1950s. They certainly didn’t have today’s technology, but I have to admit… some of their equipment looked a lot more entertaining.
Ding, Ding, Ding!
Instead of dialing a phone, many schools had a dedicated Public Address console with toggle switches and a large microphone sitting proudly on the secretary’s desk. It looked more like something from an old radio station than a school office.
Every time I watch Grease, I smile during the scene where the school secretary taps a xylophone before speaking into the microphone. Can you imagine?
“Good morning, students… ding, ding, ding!”
Tell me that wouldn’t make Monday morning announcements just a little more enjoyable.
Connecting the Calls
Of course, communication didn’t stop with the PA system. Long before transfer buttons, caller ID, or voicemail, school secretaries operated manual switchboards.
Every incoming call required physically plugging patch cords into different jacks to connect parents with the principal, teachers, or classrooms. There were no speed dials or extension directories—just experience, organization, and knowing exactly where everyone was supposed to be.
The Battle of the Copier
Now, let’s talk about copy machines. Everyone is happy to report the problem:
“There’s a paper jam!”
“We need more toner.”
“Do you have any staples for the copier?”
Somehow, though, it always ends with, “Can you take a look at it?”
As you’re opening every compartment and searching for the microscopic scrap of paper the copier insists is still there, it’s worth remembering our counterparts from the 1950s. We sometimes joke about the “olden days,” but those school secretaries worked with equipment that required as much muscle as it did patience.
Making copies wasn’t as simple as pressing Print. Every test, worksheet, and newsletter began on a manual typewriter. The secretary typed onto a wax stencil, carefully hoping not to make a mistake, because fixing one wasn’t easy.
The stencil was then wrapped around a mimeograph drum, ink was added, and the machine was hand-cranked until hundreds of copies were made. Suddenly replacing a toner cartridge doesn’t seem nearly as dramatic.
For smaller print jobs, schools often used the famous Ditto machine. If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember those purple worksheets—and yes, many of us couldn’t resist taking a sniff of that unmistakable sweet-smelling ink before the teacher collected them.
Desks, Files, and Physical Data
The office itself looked very different, too. Today we joke that our desks are overflowing with monitors, keyboards, sticky notes, and charging cables. Back then, desks were crowded with:
Heavy cast-iron staplers
Hand-cranked pencil sharpeners
Stacks of ledgers & filing trays
Boxes of index cards
Those weren’t charming vintage decorations—they were the tools that kept the school running every single day.
Need to call a parent? Today we open the Student Information System, type a student’s name, and within seconds we have emergency contacts, attendance, medical alerts, and family information.
In the 1950s, the secretary rolled her chair over to a wall of filing cabinets, searched through rows of index cards, and pulled paper files by hand. Every attendance record, emergency contact, report card, and medical form lived in its own folder, and every update meant filing another piece of paper in exactly the right place.
The Heart of the School
Technology has transformed the school office. We have computers, email, databases, digital phone systems, and copiers that can print thousands of pages in minutes.
(Granted… they occasionally insist there’s a “Paper Jam – Tray 2” when there clearly isn’t.)
But despite all the technological advances, one thing hasn’t changed: School secretaries are still the people who quietly keep the school running.
We’re the problem solvers, the troubleshooters, the organizers, the communicators, and sometimes the unofficial copier repair technician. We answer questions before they’re asked, calm worried parents, support teachers, help administrators, and somehow keep the day moving forward.
So the next time you’re making your fifteenth announcement of the morning or clearing yet another mysterious paper jam, take a moment to appreciate the generations of school secretaries who came before us. They kept schools running with switchboards, mimeograph machines, filing cabinets, and a remarkable amount of patience.
And if anyone ever brings back the xylophone before morning announcements… I’ll be first in line to volunteer.
Article by Mrs. Office Lady reshared with permission. Read the original at: Mrs. Office Lady
2027 NAEOP Conference
The National Association of Educational Office Professionals (NAEOP) 92nd Annual Conference will be held July 11-14 , 2027, in Hampton, VA.
Visit the NAEOP website for conference details and to become an NAEOP member: https://www.naeop.org.
CAEOP Gift Card Fundraiser
Help raise funds for CAEOP while you shop online or purchase gift cards for holiday and everyday shopping: raiseright.com (enrollment code 34Z5LAE6AGXK).
Corn Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 Can of Corn (drained)
- 1 Cup of Grated Cheese
- 1 Cup of Mayonnaise
- 1 Cup of Chopped Bell Pepper (any color)
- 1/2 Cup of Finely Diced Red Onion
- 1 Bag of Chili Cheese Fritos
Directions:
- Add all ingredients together, except for the Fritos. Mix Well.
- Serve over Chili Cheese Fritos.
Crystal Ehret
CAEOP Treasurer
Appointed Board Members/Committee Chairs:
- Awards Chair: Maria Sara Gonzalez
- Bylaws Committee Chair and Promotions Chair: Jaquenette Green, CEOE
- Conference Co-Chairs: Lorri Kilby, CEOE; Mary Alice Means
- Finance/Budget Chair: Kathy Ramos, CEOE
- Executive Contracts Chair: Mary Alice Means
- Life/Honorary Membership Chair: Lorri Kilby, CEOE
- Professional Incentive Program Chair: Linda Rush, CEOE
- Hospitality Chair: Juno Fernandez
- Poster Contest Chair: Cristina Ruiz
- Scholarship Chair: Adrienne Bridges
- Technology Coordinator: Stacy Nava
- Social Media/Webmaster Strategist: Xochitl Trujillo
- Social Media/Webmaster Co-Strategist: Anna Fetzner