by Vince Teresi
Students at St. Mary’s Public Elementary, Mt. Angel Middle and Kennedy High schools will all have something similar to learn on the first day of school – the name of their principal.
There are new principals at all three schools – Troy Stoops at Kennedy High, Kim Beddor at Mt. Angel Middle and Jennifer Christian at St. Mary’s Public Elementary schools.
After serving six years as the principal at St. Mary’s Public Elementary School, Stoops transferred to Kennedy High School. He replaces Bryan Starr who is now the principal at Scio High School.
Stoops received his master’s degree from Oregon State University and has served in administrative roles with the Silver Falls School District.
“I’m really excited to be at Kennedy High,” he said. “In a way, I feel like I am returning to my roots. Prior to becoming an administrator, I taught high school agricultural science and technology at Silverton.”
Although the age group is different, Stoops said his philosophy is the same.
“School is a place where all students can learn in a safe and respectful environment,” he said. “Students are expected to be accountable and attend regularly. My goal is to help all who enter Kennedy be successful.”
Stoops is excited to see students now in high school who he worked with when they were in elementary school.
“I enjoy the activities and opportunities that involve high school students. The level of energy is challenging at times in high schools, but will keep you young at heart with the many rewarding achievements and success,” Stoops said.
Superintendent Bob Young said he feels the “changes can be difficult for many, but can be very positive with new growth and challenges. I am optimistic the changes will bring a new level of enthusiasm and excellence at all three schools.”
Greeting students at the Mt. Angel Middle School will be principal Kim Beddor. She earned a master’s degree in special education from Lewis and Clark College and served as assistant principal at Redmond High School last year. Formerly, she served as principal at Obsidian Middle School for three years. Dave Carlson, former middle school principal, accepted a position as an assistant middle school principal in the McMinnville School District.
Beddor served as an officer in the Oregon Army National Guard, where she spent a year in Afghanistan. She also has an extensive teaching background working with at-risk and mental health needs students and has taught several years at McLaren School in Woodburn.
Beddor feels “the role of education is to create citizens who are contributing and productive members of society.
“Educators must challenge students to look beyond themselves, to understand the world around them by recognizing their responsibilities to their community both personally and globally. Schools must provide the best possible education and ensure that every student achieves to their greatest potential.”
Beddor said her service in Afghanistan was an eye-opener, explaining, “among the Afghan people, there is less than a 30 percent literacy rate.”
In order to harden Afghanistan citizens against the effects of propaganda such as the Taliban uses to control people, Beddor said the U.S. and Coalition forces have made education a priority. While serving in Afghanistan, Beddor developed a literacy education program for officers and soldiers. “The Taliban wants to keep the Afghans illiterate to control them,” Beddor explains. “They do this by killing the teachers and burning the schools.”
Beddor is “excited about joining the Mt. Angel Middle School team. It is an excellent school and the small size will allow me to know all the children and their families well and to provide the best service possible to the community.”
Jennifer Christian is the new elementary principal. She was the principal at Centennial Elementary School in Scio for two years and taught 11 years at Mark Twain Middle School. She received her bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s degree in education from Willamette University.
Attending a small school as a child, she said she values the individual attention students receive and “sense of family and connectedness that school districts this size place as a priority.”
As the daughter of a career elementary educator, school was like a second home to her., she said, adding she already has the sense the St. Mary’s staff has made it a habit to “go that extra mile to not only see that students make fabulous academic gains, but it is apparent that the school district is one that is nurturing, inspiring, and respectful of diversity.”
Christian invites people to drop by her office and introduce themselves. “I take great pride in having high visibility and accessibility with all those vested in the education of our kids.”
