For lots of families, the afternoon ritual goes as follows: The kids come home complaining of the stresses of school, and the parents complain of the stresses of work.

But for some, the kid’s school and the parent’s work are one and the same.

Lauterbach

Math teacher Karie Lauterbach is no stranger to this exception. Having worked at Bellevue West since 2006, all of her children so far have been T-birds.

“I currently have two students who attend Bellevue West,” Karie Lauterbach wrote in an email. “Parker Lauterbach is a Junior and Pierson Lauterbach is a Sophomore.  I have had two others who have graduated from Bellevue West. Preston Lauterbach graduated in 2013 and Payton Lauterbach graduated in 2015.”

Before deciding to teach at Bellevue West in 2006, she worked at Mission Middle School for 13 years as a math and science teacher, as well as a Dean of Students.

“This is my 25th year at Bellevue Public Schools,” Karie Lauterbach said. “Our oldest child, Preston, was planning to attend Bellevue East High School, but that was when I was working at Mission Middle.  When I transferred to West, we then decided all children would attend the school in which I teach.”

And they’ve stayed true to their decision. Junior Parker Lauterbach, their third child to attend Bellevue West, says that it’s cool having a parent teach at the school because the staff seems to know her better, having listened to her mother talk about her as she grew up. She says it’s also nice having someone who knows everything that goes on.

“She knows what’s going on,” Parker Lauterbach said. “If I miss something, she knows what it is. Like NHS meetings. I had no idea for the first couple weeks because we have to sign up for stuff and so she would always help me and remind me. Stuff like that.”

Fogarty

Spanish teacher Machaella Fogarty has been teaching at Bellevue West since 2003, and is in the middle of her 21st year of teaching. Two of her daughters, Sydney and Sara Fogarty, are both seniors.

“I am so very blessed to have my girls at the same high school where I teach,” Machaella Fogarty wrote in an email. “I get to see them everyday. If they have a problem they know they can come to me for help. It is nice that I can be available for them. I truly believe that this has built a strong relationship between the three of us.”

Senior Sydney Fogarty says it’s nice having her Mom teach at the school because she can go to her classroom if she needs anything throughout the day.

“It’s nice because whenever I want I can go in her classroom to get food or print papers,” Sydney Fogarty wrote in an email. “I can also put things in there I don’t want to carry around all day and it’s nice to go in there during the day to talk to my mom.”

Machaella Fogarty’s two younger daughters, Heather and Shannon Fogarty, will also be attending Bellevue West in the future.

“I had always hoped that they would attend Bellevue West.” Machaella Fogarty wrote in an email. “It will be awesome to see the 2 younger sisters follow in Sydney and Sara’s foot steps to BWEST!”

Moraski

Gym teacher Craig Moraski, who has been teaching for a total of 25 of years, has worked at Bellevue West for 17 years. He says he’s always planned to have his kids attend Bellevue West.

“I am a Bellevue West Graduate,” Craig Moraski wrote in an email. “I came back to teach here before I had children. I have always planned it.”

His daughter, Madison Moraski, is a freshman, so the duo is new, overall, to this exception.

“When I have teachers that I know, they treat me like everyone else,” Madison Moraski wrote in an email. “When students figure out who I am I think they see me differently.”

But they both said that it hasn’t really affected their home or school/work life at all.

“We are much closer,” Craig Moraski wrote in an email. “I am absolutely in the loop in her life, but stay out of her business.”

For the Moraski’s, going to the same school isn’t really a big deal. It even has more pros than cons.

“Bellevue is a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Moraski said. “I am lucky to be teaching at such a great place and I feel like my kids are lucky to attend such a great High School.”