When people think “elementary school,” they picture little ones who are usually shorter than the teacher and somewhat malleable.
“Middle school,” on the other hand, evokes that awkward stage where kids morph into teens, attended by raging hormones and intense peer dynamics.
Janet Gillingham, new principal at Heatherwood Middle School, says she loves that adolescent stage. Gillingham came from Garfield Elementary School to Heatherwood this year, partly because she wanted to work with middle school students again, she said.
“I love that age group and the challenge it presents,” Gillingham said. “They’re at such an impressionable age and it’s such a critical time in their life, not only all the things they’re going through, (but) developing who they are as a person.”
There’s a heightened sense of responsibility for educators at that level, she said.
Gillingham, who replaces retired former principal Greg Gelderman, is not new to middle schools.
She came to the Everett School District in 2006 from the Vancouver School District, where she was a middle school principal for five years and a high school assistant principal for two years. Gillingham also taught English at high school for eight years.
In coming to a new school, Gillingham will have a learning curve.
“Any time a principal comes into a new building, you have to assess what is the culture and get to know the people and listen,” she said.
One of the first things Gillingham plans to do is to hear from teachers, parents and students about what their perception of the school is, what they see as the strengths and where they would like to go, she said.
“Then determining if there are ways to improve and incorporate some of the ideas that others have,” Gillingham said.
As for things she’d like to change, the district has already done a lot of work, especially in helping teachers develop skills and collaborate, Gillingham said.
“We’re always looking at ways to reduce the achievement gap so students will be able to reach the state standards,” she said. “Those that reach the standards, we want to take them to a level where they’re exceeding the standards significantly.”
In addition, a goal is to challenge high achievers to extend themselves even more, she said.
This year, the school may focus more on grading practices, Gillingham said. The district has begun training teachers on the topic.
“In part, it’s about consistency,” she said of grading. “But it’s also about focus.”
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