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Dear Families,

I’d like to take an opportunity to tell you a little about myself and what I place value in as an educator. I was born and raised on the east coast, just north of Boston. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish with secondary education certification from Ripon College. After a few years of teaching, I earned a Master’s Degree in General Education from UW-Stevens Point, and immediately followed it with a second Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Marian University. I have served as an educator for 18 years: six as a MS/HS teacher, three as an ES principal, and nine years as a MS/HS principal.

My basic motto is: Kids first!

I believe that the three years of middle school are meant to prepare our students for the transition from the supportive elementary environment to more independently engineer the challenges of high school and beyond. I will work closely with staff at Spring Harbor to ensure that students are provided a high quality education in a safe and caring environment within which all students are accepted and celebrated for who they are and the gifts they bring to our school community.

I believe in high standards of behavior and learning - and that all students can and will learn. This occurs through collaborative and nurturing relationships between school, student, home, and community as well as rigorous and relevant learning experiences.

My experiences as a mom of three and an educator have taught me that the middle school years can be quite challenging - a time of great change physically, socially, emotionally, and academically. It is only through strong relationships between home, school, and community that we may foster within our children a sense of responsibility and respect (for themselves, their peers and adults, their school, and their community) that will equip them with the confidence to survive the somewhat turbulent years of early adolescence and furnish them with the skills and habits necessary to be successful students and citizens.

I invite each of you to stay informed - stay connected. Please call or visit any time that you have questions or concerns. Most importantly, please make it a daily practice to ask your son/daughter about their school day. That one simple question quite often can reveal attitudes towards learning and school that may assist us in ensuring that your son/daughter’s needs are being met.

I thank you in advance for your support and look forward to meeting you!

- Pam Waite