BROOKINGS Hillcrest Elementary has a new principal. Starting this fall, Kate Mogard takes over from Shannon Smith, who was named director of special services for the Brookings School District in May.
Mogards been with the district since 2007, spending the last three years as a teacher on special assignment, assisting the principal at Dakota Prairie Elementary.
This was a really good experience because it was out of the classroom but not quite to the principal role yet, Mogard said. It gave me a lot of experience in most things that will now be in my principal role. The principal at Dakota Prairie Sarah Wiebersick was a great mentor, really encouraging and supporting me if I had an idea. It was a good three years of great administrative experience.
She said her leadership style will be similar to Wiebersicks.
I look at my role as supporting the kids and the staff, Mogard said. If teachers need some assistance, Im there for that. If kids are struggling in the classroom, Im there to work with the staff and help find ways for kids to be more successful. Its not authoritarian; its the opposite of that supportive. I think teachers need to be supported; and its my job to take care of teachers, so teachers can take care of kids.
She said her own years teaching have prepared her for this role.
Elementary school is my background, Mogard said. I taught mostly kindergarten and some first grade for more than 20 years. Thats obviously where my experience and expertise is at. I think Im always going to have that feeling that Im a teacher at heart. Ive done it for such a long time. I have walked in the shoes of these educators, and that experience has been very recent.
She said transitioning from teacher to administrator is emotional.
Its bittersweet, Mogard said. Having been 22 years or so teaching, Im ready for that next challenge or next big step. But there is still that piece of it not being in your classroom with those 20 plus kids throughout the school year. I think youll always miss a part of that, but its also exciting to be in a role of supporting those who are still in that teaching role.
The Hillcrest building itself is relatively new, having been completely rebuilt last summer.
I was so happy for them when that opened, because I was teaching in Hillcrest 10 years ago when it was so crowded, Mogard said. We needed to build a new school, and to see them finally in that new, big beautiful space is great. So the building is obviously different, but Im excited because I probably worked with about half the staff thats there now. They were there back when I was there.
She said shell spend the summer familiarizing herself with both the building and the people.
Im really trying to just acclimate myself to the building right now, Mogard said. Ill be trying to get familiar with where everything is, who all the staff are and as we get closer finding opportunities to meet families and staff members I havent met yet. Ill be trying to get a good picture of what last year was like, because theyve only been in that building for a year now. Theres still things they were working through, being in a new building. Its fun, but there are certainly challenges that come with that.
Shes looking forward to the start of the school year.
Im really excited to be back in Hillcrest, Mogard said. Im looking forward to meeting families, working with them and staff to make sure our learners are excited about school and feel safe and happy to be learning here. My door is always open. Ill be around, and Id love to meet anyone who wants to stop in to say hi or just introduce themselves.
Students report for the start of the new school year in Brookings on Aug. 21.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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