How long have you been in education, and how many years at Frenship?
I have been in education for 23 years. When we open the new middle school in August, it will mark my 20th year at Frenship. It has been neat to see our district grow from one middle school to four in that short time frame.
As principal of the fourth middle school, what are you looking forward to the most?
Having a brand, new building is very exciting. However, I am most looking forward to getting to know our students, their families, our staff, and creating a positive school culture that helps each student be as successful as they can be. That is most important to me. I want every student and staff member to feel safe, valued, and loved.
When will we know the name of the fourth middle school?
The first step in the naming process was getting input from our stakeholders. It was so important for our students, alumni, parents, staff, and community members to have a voice in the process. In November, these stakeholders were able to submit their choice of a name online. There were a lot of great submissions! That list of names was narrowed down and reviewed by the Frenship Board of Trustees who will approve the name at the January 19th board meeting.
When will we know the attendance boundaries for the middle schools?
The process to develop new attendance boundaries is complex and involves working closely with demographers on growth projections while also getting feedback from parents, staff, and community members. In addition to pushing out proposed attendance boundary maps to the community through the website, social media, and districtwide emails, Frenship also hosted three public town hall meetings. An email was also set up for people to submit their feedback on the proposed middle school boundaries. The Frenship community will have another opportunity to provide input at the December 19 school board meeting. The Board of Trustees will approve the final attendance boundaries during the January school board meeting.
Will the new middle school have all the same programs as the other three middle schools?
Absolutely! We will have choir, band, theatre, art, 7th and 8th grade athletics programs, cheer, robotics, UIL, NJHS, student council, and all four middle schools will be adding orchestra, too. Any program that is at our current middle schools will be at our new one.
When can students and parents tour the new school?
We’re hoping to have an open house late spring/early summer so parents and students can check out the progress and see their campus! Be on the lookout for our website that will be added in late January. It will be a great place to go to find out about upcoming events and get updated information. In the spring, we will also have a Facebook and Twitter account. I want parents and students to feel as connected to the school as possible-even if our building is not fully complete!