Spring (and Change) is in the Air - In a Nutshell

 

I enjoyed a wonderful weekend - my family all in one place for about 24 hours! We hosted a pre-wedding “shower” for Brady and Eliza on Saturday; it was such a happy day - all of our family and friends together to celebrate! Brady thanked everyone for coming, and he said that growing up in a school means he has lots of “parents’! That is so true! I am sure my kids didn’t always love the early mornings, late nights, event clean-ups, and quick dinners at Sonic, but with all of that came a deep understanding of what it takes to make a school a true community and how ALL of the faculty and staff become family! Needless to say, it was a great weekend!

PTO showed up and showed out with two amazing dances this weekend! Ashley and Tyler White “made it glow” for our families. Great decor, yummy snacks, an awesome DJ (Mr. Fernandez), David Dice Photography in the house (I think he has photographed every faculty member and parent at some point in his life), and pure joy on and around the dance floor! One-on-one time between parent and child (regardless of age) is special! I am proud we can provide this opportunity to our families; they are moments you will never forget. I even made Brady stop by with me for a quick mother/son pic! 

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:

Kathy Clark, Pretoddler Teacher, will retire at the end of this school year. Although Kathy has only been at Oakhill for 4 short years, she has truly made a difference; she has created a very high bar for our Pretoddler Classroom. Kathy began her Oakhill career as a Preschool Assistant before becoming the Lead Teacher in our youngest classroom. Kathy is one of the MOST energetic teachers I have ever met - always moving, always teaching, always singing, and always learning with (and from) her students! 

Kathy Trager, Preschool Teacher, will end her 23 years at Oakhill in May. Kathy has been a pivotal player in the Early Childhood Division during her time here; she has assisted in Kindergarten and taught Toddler and Preschool. I was able to experience Kathy as my daughter’s teacher many years ago - her passion, professionalism, and love for her students has never changed; she cares deeply about her students and about Oakhill! 

With Kathy’s departure, Melaina Hagan will transition from Toddler to Preschool next school year. Melaina is a fabulous Toddler teacher and will “graduate” with her students! Melaina’s nurturing demeanor will be a perfect fit for Preschool development!

Barb Ely, Pretoddler thru Prekindergarten Music Teacher, will retire at the end of the school year; she has spent 27 years within these walls as an Early Childhood Assistant, Early Childhood and Middle School Music Teacher, while overseeing garage band, and teaching many students guitar and piano in after-school music lessons. Barb is not only a rock and roll band member and talented musician, but she is a dedicated and loyal Oakhill alumni parent and team member! I believe she will be back someday if grandchildren come into play!

April Gunderson is quite the utility player at Oakhill! Her musical background and talents will be put into practice in Pretoddler-Prekindergarten Music Class - taking over Barb’s role! April will also move “almost” full-time into the Learning Services Department, working alongside Delaney Dowd. April brings passion to both positions - we are lucky to showcase her talents with students of all ages!

Jodi Egbert has spent the past 12 years in 1st Grade, and she is now looking for a bit more flexibility. She will make a move to the Innovation Lab (perhaps a new name to come) to lead collaborative technology and STEM projects with Lower School teachers and students. Jodi is excited to focus on meaningful technology and provide a space and place for hands-on problem solving!

With Jodi’s move from 1st Grade, Hayley Ziegler is thrilled to work alongside Lisa Manley next year! Hayley brings years of teaching experience in Kindergarten through 3rd Grade, and she is looking forward to bridging the gap between her current role in Kindergarten and next year’s 1st Grade…what a smooth transition this will be for her! 

Summer Craven, who has spent the past decade teaching PK-2nd Grade at Oakhill, will move from Prekindergarten to Hayley Ziegler’s position as one of our Kindergarten teachers. Summer is such a nurturing teacher…the perfect fit for our Kindergarten philosophy and students! She, too, is fortunate to know firsthand where our Prekindergarten students are coming from…ready to pick right up where PK left off during the Kindergarten transition. 

Kristin Forsen has spent the last 10 years teaching at Oakhill in both 2nd grade and Kindergarten. She has been working TWO full-time jobs for the past few years as a Kindergarten teacher and Director of Curriculum and Instruction. She works hard behind the scenes to ensure our curriculum is sound from Pretoddler through 8th grade. Kristin will make a move out of the classroom next year; she will have the time it takes to work alongside teachers, Division Directors, and our Director of Learning Services. Kristin is phenomenal in this role; I look forward to the impact she will continue to make for all of our teachers and students. 

Jaci Ebert has spent the last six years teaching Science AND leading our Summer Program AND leading Kids Club/After School programs AND helping with PTO events, Overnight Trips, and the list goes on and on! Jaci will also move out of the classroom next year to give her full attention to all of the above and then some! Her new title will be Director of Auxiliary Programs & Community Life!

Lola Heintz, who has only been at Oakhill for a year, has held about 10 roles thus far! What a true team player - great versatility! Lola will move into Jaci’s Science role next year, teaching 3rd - 5th Grade! Lola holds a degree from Northwest Missouri State University in Agricultural Science and a Master’s Degree from Kansas State University in Horticulture with a certification in Therapeutic Horticulture. She is the perfect fit for this role, embracing recycling, supporting the Living Lab initiatives, and all things Science at Oakhill! 

Finally, the Maintenance Department has been restructured; the gym and Welcome Project cleaning (lots of square footage) has been outsourced to our South Building Cleaning Company. With that said, there are newly defined maintenance positions listed on the Oakhill website.  

All open positions are listed on the Oakhill website, which currently includes: Pretoddler Lead, Toddler Lead, Prekindergarten Teaching Assistant, Kindergarten Teacher, Maintenance positions, and Library systems and stories.

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 season, 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! 

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

Ready for a new season - Spring,

Suzanne