A handful of Northtown students start their school day beside their staff parents. Tricia Ezekwe who teaches English Language Arts and PPS, along with Matthew Fillingham, Assistant Band Director and Math teacher, have children who attend Northtown.
Ezekwe shared her outlook on having her daughter, Senior Gianna Ezekwe, attending the school she teaches in.
“I think mostly when she got involved more in the IB program as a DP student, it changed in [the fact] that I understood the amount of work she had, and so I think I became more of an understanding parent about, like cleaning her room,” Ezekwe said.
Gianna Ezekwe spoke about having come across her start at Northtown.
“I mean, honestly, I didn’t know that many people going into high school, so it was kind of like they probably did see me as like, ‘Oh, my mom’s daughter’ and things like that. But I don’t know, it didn’t really affect me because I loved her and I thought she was pretty cool. So it is kind of like a good thing,” she said.
Fillingham voiced his point of view about seeing his two sons in their school environment.
“I really enjoy getting to see them in their elements, see them do their activities, and I know a lot of their teachers, so I kind of have a better idea of kind of what their classes are like, [and] what the environment is like,” Fillingham said.
His son, Junior Robert Fillingham, describes his relationship with his father based on sharing the same work/school environment.
“So, we talk about school together a lot. And honestly, I think it’s a nice kind of bonding thing. Just being in the same school together, just like you’re in the same school with your friends, having it with my parents, it’s pretty cool,” he said.
His other son, freshman Kai Fillingham, spoke about his experience so far.
“You can get into things, like yesterday, I came into the school [to] practice, and it just [provides] more things that you can get into,” he said.
Tricia Ezekwe felt like having Gianna with her at Northtown allowed her to see her through a different perspective.
“Well, I think it’s mostly positive, because I kind of get to see especially because I was her teacher her freshman year, I got to see her in a way that I didn’t ever get to see her as her parent before. So, I got to see her as a student through a teacher lens, and I had some very proud moments of like, for example, when she was presenting a project and did an amazing job, I got to see her through like a dual lens at that moment. So, I think it’s really helped me kind of even get to know her in a way, I don’t think most parents get to see their child,” she said.
Robert Fillingham shares a benefit of having his father as an assistant band instructor.
“He has access to a lot of things. Not like things I’m not supposed to see, but his easier access, and he knows where to get things, especially since I am a trombone player in the band. He’s the brass instructor. I’m brass captain, so it really works out like that. And I’m like, ‘yo Dad, do you have the music for so and such?’ And he’s like, ‘yeah, here you go,’ and I can give it out to my section,” he said.
Robert Fillingham spoke about various interactions he’s had with people based on his relationship to his father.
“I have people come up to me and it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re Mr. Fillingham’s son, right?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s me.’ And then usually they have something to tell me about him, like, oh yeah, ‘he acts like this, oh yeah, he’s cool, like this, or I don’t really like the way he teaches,’” he said.
