Shawano Community Middle School hosted a meet-and-greet Thursday to give area residents a chance to meet the school’s new administrators.
Principal Mary Kramer said the event was aimed at building relationships and helping open the door for more community involvement.
“I really want to start pushing out all of the great things that are going on, so we need more people getting involved,” Kramer said.
The event included snacks and refreshments as Kramer and Associate Principal Rod Watson mingled with parents, students and staff to discuss plans for the school year and to share their experiences.
“We want to get to know the community as best we can,” Watson said. “The stronger the relationship between the administration, the parents and the kids, the more we are going to be able to help the kids and the school.”
Shawano School District Superintendent Gary Cumberland said the event was a good way for people to meet the new administrators in a relaxed environment.
“We are developing a vision of what it means to be a Hawk and to live the Hawk Way in our district,’” Cumberland said. “As the administration and the staff grow and develop, it will reflect on the students.”
John Tierney, an art teacher who has been with the school district for 29 years, said the meet-and-greet was an excellent idea to help the school community to get to know Kramer and Watson.
“I think it’s great,” Tierney said. “It shows we have an open door and it helps people see what is going on with the schools.”
Kramer said her main goals this year are to track math and literacy goals for students on their standardized testing and to create personal goals for the staff to show exactly how students are learning.
“This is new for staff,” Kramer said. “We are focusing on taking away all of the extra things that don’t directly relate to improving the school.”
Kramer replaces Daniel Labby, whose retirement took effect June 30. Labby served the district as an administrator for 12 years, including the last nine as principal.
Originally from Wausau, Kramer brings 18 years of education experience to the job, most recently as associate principal at Oregon High School.
Kramer received bachelor degrees in Spanish and secondary education from St. Norbert College in 1996, and a Master of Education degree and a Gifted and Talented Endorsement from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.
Prior to working in Oregon, she was a bilingual associate principal at Green Bay Preble, where she was part of a Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Focus on Attendance subcommittee. She also earned a director of instruction license at Viterbo University in La Crosse.
Watson was born in Freeport, Illinois, and has spent the last 10 years teaching in Elgin, Illinois, at an alternative school for at-risk youth. He has received four college degrees, the most recent of which was in curriculum instruction.
Watson, who was hired at the end of July, said he is focusing on supporting Kramer and learning everything he can about the school.
“I have to get to know the staff, what their strengths are, and how I can support them to try and make sure we don’t lose momentum along the way,” Watson said.
Cumberland said he is looking forward to the start of the new year.
“We want to go forward in a positive way,” Cumberland said.
For Kramer, she said she has been very pleased with the amount of participation and interest she has already seen on the part of residents.
“It feels like a great fit for me because every time I talk to somebody they want to go forward and they want to be involved,” Kramer said. “I have never had so many people say, ‘I want to participate.’ I feel so happy to be here.”
Categories
