The Winslow Unified School District has welcomed Deb Lopez as the new principal of Winslow Junior High School. Lopez has been on the WJHS team for four years. Until recently, she held the position of student advisor. With the departure of Darlene McCauley in May, Lopez took on the role of principal. She said, “I am excited, scared, all of those emotions, but it’s good.
“I came into the junior high school four years ago as the academic coach so I got to see it really make progress.” Lopez mentioned that WJHS was once rated as a ‘D’ school by the State of Arizona. Following that grade, Lopez explained, the state discontinued the grading system. “So, we had this ‘D’ grade hanging over the junior high all of those years. But, it didn’t reflect all of the work that was going on because no one was getting new grades.
“During my time as the academic coach, I was able to get in and start working on building programs to raise the student achievements around here.” Last fall, under a revised system analyzed by performance in the AZ Merit standardized tests, the junior high received a ‘C’ grade. “We have not received a grade for the 2017-2018 school year yet,” Lopez said.
Lopez’s first year as the student advisor consisted of finding ways to serve all students. “(This included) the students that were struggling, but also the students that needed a bit of an academic challenge because they were doing well.
Lopez was able to be part of the scheduling committee that developed a built-in intervention schedule and met with core subject teachers during the development of the program. “We do placements for the students, and I would come in and do the schedule changes so I really got, from the ground up, a feeling of how that needs to work. It has been a work in progress, every year we have added something to it.”
Entering in to the 2018-2019 school year, Lopez said, “As we examine the pieces of our puzzle, one thing that was still missing was how to serve the students that are doing a good job. The district has partnered with the Arizona Science Center and they are going to supply us with resources to support a true enrichment program for those students. It will be part of our already built-in intervention system.”
She expressed her excitement for the program stating, “Kids who are doing well in English and math for three weeks during the school year will be able to take part in more STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) activities. They would go and learn all of the physics behind roller coasters while researching and learning about the engineering of them.”
According to Lopez, this program will be in place not only as a reward for students who perform well academically, but also to serve as a good motivation for the students who are struggling who would like to participate.
Another challenge facing the newly hired principal is moving from a student-centered position to a more staff centered position. “I feel like I have the respect and support from the staff because I know them, and they know me. But it’s definitely going to be a challenge and I will approach it with the caution associated with that but, like I said, I feel that the staff’s confidence is behind me.” Her approach, she said, “Is going to be very collaborative, I feel like this team really collaborates well.
“I think one of the things that has raised my awareness is how important culture is at this age.” Culture, in this instance refers to the ever-changing social aspects of being in junior high school as well as the many heritages represented in the Winslow School District. “I have thrown around a couple of ideas with my art teacher in terms of adding some artwork that projects a positive image and motivational things; this is such a critical age for kids.”
Lopez, known throughout the district as being high energy and relatable to students would like to continue that in this role. “For example, I used to play music in the cafeteria for them on Fridays and they thought that was the coolest thing. I want to make it fun for them but continue that positive environment.”
Lopez also acknowledged the importance of a relationship between students, faculty and parents. “Not everyone is going to agree with the policies, but we are acting in the best interest of your kids. I constantly invite parents in with an open door.”
She explained that a parent being involved in their student’s education is welcomed and encouraged. “This is a partnership and just from my experiences, parent involvement declines. We don’t get as many parents volunteering in the classroom or chaperoning field trips. So, I would like to reiterate that they have a part in this too. Another thing parents can do to help their students and to help us is to make sure their kids are at school on time. Every group of kids is different so we have to remain fluid but one of our biggest challenges is attendance. We really want to focus on that this year.”
Lopez plans to challenge the seventh and eighth graders at WJHS this year. “I want kids to take advantage of junior high. I want them to join at least one activity or sport or club here on campus. It is a great time for kids to venture outside of their comfort zones and find their passions.”
The Winslow school year begins at 7:45 a.m. on Monday, July 30.
