School Leadership Team Focuses On The Positive

If the saying that "attitude reflects leadership" is true, then judging by the strong leadership team assembled by the Superintendent of Schools, the students of Boundary County School District will reap the benefits of a very positive attitude.

'A Team' Curt Bayer, Angela Armstrong, Ken Olson, Jan Bayer, Jim Nash, Dick Behrens, Cindy Orr, Don Bartling.

This team, referred to as the "A Team," is a group of people dedicated to education. It is comprised of principals from each school, coordinators of special education, technology, and curriculum and directors of activities, food services, maintenance and transportation. They gather together on a monthly basis to discuss issues affecting the Boundary County schools.

"We are very fortunate to have the talent we do, not only in terms of the consistency of leadership we have enjoyed, but also in the new talent we have," said Don Bartling.

Examples of long-term leadership in the district include Curt Bayer currently serving his sixth year as principal of Bonners Ferry High School, and Ken Olson now in his 15th year as Director of Special Education and principal of Riverside High School.

Cynthia Orr, who is starting her second year as principal of Valley View School, is an example of new leadership talent that has come aboard the A Team.

The upbeat, can-do attitude of the team was clear as it discussed the positive things happening in the schools.

"There are three very important words that we use every day at both Evergreen and Naples schools," said Principal Jim Nash. "They are respect, responsibility and communication. Everything we are about this year involves those three words. The concepts of respect, responsibility and communication evolved from curriculum and community input. We pay close attention to parental input, and we do our best to act on it."

"The goal at Valley View Elementary this year," said Orr, "is to be both student- and parent-centered. We are beginning a new 'Student of the Month' program, where every student will have the opportunity to be 'Student of the Month' and get to have lunch with the principal," she said. "We are also instituting a new form of parent communication, where each student in grades K - 5 will take home a folder every Thursday with communication to the parents from the school."

Bonners Ferry Middle School principal Dick Behrens said the school introduced the teachers to students in a fun assembly that was especially effective for sixth graders.

"We have great kids," said Bayer. "We had a great start to the school year. Our 'Freshman Transition Day' was an extremely positive experience for our incoming ninth grade class. Also, I think we have the best collective staff that we have had in the last six years."

Angela Armstrong, principal of Mount Hall School, summed up the general philosophy of the A Team.

"Everybody in the teaching community supports the students."

As a community let's watch the A Team's "Focus On The Positive" and help our students reap the benefits.