For parents sending their kids off to school each morning, the worries never really stop. Is their kindergartener doing OK? Did they remember to pack that extra snack for the field trip?

But at Dunbarton Elementary, there’s one person they can always count on for answers, no matter the time of day: Shelley Westenberg.

As the principal’s secretary, Westenberg is more than just a voice on the other end of the phone. She’s a lifeline, the go-to person for parents navigating the daily chaos of school life.

And when the school day ends at 3:30 p.m., she doesn’t fully clock out.

Her school cell phone stays on just in case a worried parent needs reassurance.

“It’s very important to me that when parents register their child here and they meet me, they know their child is safe,” Westenberg said. “For some reason, I want them to be able to reach me all the time, which my husband doesn’t like.”

Westenberg isn’t just a staff member; she’s a Dunbarton mom who’s walked the same path, made the same calls and carried the same worries. After leaving for college, she spent 37 years away, raising two kids before eventually returning home.

When her children attended the same small school she once had, she was an active member of the Parent-Teacher Organization.

Then, a decade ago, she stepped into the job she holds today bringing with her both the perspective of a parent and the deep roots of a hometown native.

“I was spending so much time here, and the secretary position became open, and I thought, ‘Why don’t I do the same thing but get paid for it?’ ” said Westenberg.

Beyond being the friendly, smiling face at the entrance alcove where visitors sign in, Westenberg is, in many ways, the engine that keeps the school running smoothly.

She handles accounts payable, coordinates teachers and substitutes and oversees professional development. But those tasks barely scratch the surface. In reality, she’s a go-to problem-solver for anything that comes up.

Kim Belanger, a teacher at Dunbarton Elementary for 22 years, has seen many secretaries come and go. But none, she said, compares to Westenberg.

“She’s the guardian angel for all of us — parents, children, staff and administration,” Belanger said. “No one holds a candle to her.”

With just 250 students, Dunbarton Elementary is small and Westenberg knows every one of them — not just their names, but their stories, their families and their needs.

If a family is struggling financially, she knows exactly where to turn, connecting them to food pantries or local resources. And if someone needs help, chances are she knows just the right person to call.

“I know this town inside and out. I really feel like I’m a good conduit for information,” said Westenberg.

With a short, one-mile commute to work each day, Westenberg finds deep purpose in each moment spent at the school, particularly in supporting teachers as they handle the growing pressures of their roles.

She feels it’s essential to do whatever she can to ease their burden and help them thrive.

“I’m a little bit like a bartender,” said Westenberg. “Before anyone gets in the building, some teachers come in and talk about their day. I love to hear it because I know they can’t talk to anybody else.”

Sruthi Gopalakrishnan can be reached at sgopalakrishnan@cmonitor.com.