In a Nutshell: Change fills the air!

I just finished FaceTiming with Brooke; she is loving Prague and seems to be acclimating well after only two weeks! Not only did she just finish a two week intensive Czech language course, but she has planned lots of weekend travels for the coming weeks - London, Venice, Berlin, Vienna, Amsterdam, Budapest, Poland, Croatia, Greece, and Switzerland (what a life)! I, too, traveled abroad during college and it taught me so much…I grew up and became appreciative of the bigger world around me! Kevin and I are traveling to Prague over Spring Break; we are taking a weekend trip with Brooke to Munich, Germany and Salzburg, Austria. We will then fly to London to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary (I can’t believe it has been that long)! 

As I write, I am reflecting on a very busy weekend after a very stressful and snowy week (no more snow days)! The weekend kicked off with a Friday night Mother/Son Dance followed by a Saturday night Father/Daughter Dance; both were a huge success thanks to Tyler and Ashley White, parent chairs of this big event AND Jameson, Rowan, and Kelston, student/child chairs (they worked hard and put in long hours)! The “fire and ice” theme was a huge hit, and Mr. Fernandez may have a new career in DJing - he brought the energy (as always)! 

I enjoyed the warm temps this weekend - I stayed outside as much as possible! Maggie Newhouse and I (both science teachers in our past) enjoyed a workshop on “backyard Maple sugaring” put on by the Missouri Department of Conservation on Saturday. I learned how to tap a tree, when to tap the tree, and how to collect sap to make syrup; I have been inspired (I purchased a kit on Amazon)! I will keep you posted on my success as a maple sugar tapper and sapper! 

Although February is a shorter than normal month, this is the time of year (in the Education world) when retirements are announced, opportunities are pursued, personal decisions are made, puzzle pieces are assembled, open positions are posted, and change fills the air. I look forward to this time of year (because change is good for an organization), yet it is bittersweet in so many ways. 

Here are a few seat changes (known at this time) on the Oakhill proverbial bus:

As many of you may know, Janelle Crouse announced her retirement last fall; but, with the sudden passing of her husband, Mike, she chose to retire immediately in early December. Janelle gave her all to Oakhill for over 26 years…a true pillar of the Oakhill community! Stephanie Youngblood has so graciously stepped up/stepped in to finish the school year for Janelle; I couldn’t have asked for a more seamless transition for our students and families during this time. 

Lori Stallman welcomes more flexibility next school year; she will be teaching Kindergarten through 3rd Grade Art and sponsoring our Oakhill yearbook. Lori has been at Oakhill for 20 years; she has helped our youngest and oldest students learn to enjoy all things Art from painting to drawing; from clay to paper mache - she has taught it all! I am happy for her new role, and I know she is looking forward to having a collaborative cohort!

Summer Craven, 2nd Grade teacher, is also looking for more flexibility next year and hopes to find the perfect seat on the Oakhill bus…for this time in her life. Summer is so versatile and can do so many things so well - as she has done for the last nine years. I look forward to wherever she lands; she will give it her all. 

Kati Smith, 4th-8th Grade Music teacher, will not be returning next school year; she has accepted a position close to her home! Each day, Kati drives an hour here and an hour home; she has found that at this point in her life, this long commute has been difficult for her family. She has enjoyed building relationships with students, staff, and families; she loves working for a school that strongly supports the fine arts - it has been rewarding. In her ONE year at Oakhill, Kati has made an impact - in music, drama, choir, and the entire life of the school; she will be missed!

Maggie Newhouse has been at Oakhill for 17 years; she has practically grown up as an educator within these walls! Maggie started back in 2008 as a Middle School Science teacher…and a gifted one at that! She always took on extra duties, roles, sponsorships, and responsibilities! Maggie seamlessly transitioned to leadership opportunities and has found great success as the Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs - she has collaborated with the Division Directors, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Director of Student Support Services, and the school counselor.   Maggie’s husband's job has taken him to Utah and at the end of June she will be joining him. Peter, who works for a construction company, has been working outside of Kansas City for quite some time. Her experience, confidence, abilities, and genuine talent will be missed at Oakhill; it is rare that someone knows an organization so well - we all trust her 110% with anything and everything! Maggie is truly irreplaceable!

I will miss those stepping off of the Oakhill bus, and I am excited to see teachers energized who are trying something new (changing seats on the bus), and I can’t wait to see brand new faculty and staff bring new ideas and perspectives as they jump on the bus! Change is hard, but expected and necessary when you have 80 employees. Things happen for a reason, and it is my job to help each and every person find the right seat, embrace the right decision, and to realize how important they are…or have been… to Oakhill, the families, the students, and education, in general! 

Teaching, leading, and working with students and families in an educational setting is a noble profession; I am so fortunate and proud to have worked alongside each and every Oakhill team member for whatever amount of time given!

I’ll keep you informed of new hires and any and all changes throughout the next few months! 

This coming Saturday should be the right temperatures for some maple sugaring,

Suzanne