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Welcome to the Kirtland Schools’ Key Communicator e-newsletter. We hope to use this tool as a two-way form of communication to share the good news going on in our classrooms, and also provide you with facts in the event of negative situations. We hope you will act as informal communications liaisons with the community and let us know what you’re hearing so we can proactively provide you with the facts of what’s happening in your schools. Thank you for your support!
KIRTLAND LOCAL SCHOOLS UPDATE July 10, 2024
Hello Kirtland Families,
Mrs. Katy Nagaj has accepted and moved up into a curriculum director position at a nearby district’s central office. She will be their “Director of Teaching and Learning”. Mrs. Nagaj has always had a passion for curriculum and instruction which was evident in all the successful programs that she impletemend at her time at KES. We are sad to see her go but excited for her and this opportunity that she was presented with. I want to publicly thank Mrs. Nagaj for her dedication to KES over the past four years. She led the building through the pandemic and many new initiatives. I can say that she left the building in a much better place than when she got there.
Mrs. Nagaj said, “It has been my pleasure and honor to serve as the principal of KES for the past four years. I am grateful to have been surrounded by the dedicated and hardworking staff as well as the supportive families, as we all worked together to help our Hornets grow and achieve! I’m beyond proud of the work we accomplished together. I wish everybody well in the upcoming 24–25 school year!”
With the announcement of Mrs. Nagaj leaving, the job was posted and had 25 applicants. Six candidates went through initial screenings and two finalists were brought before a panel of parents, staff and administrators. I am proud to announce that Mrs. Missy Godina was Board approved on Tuesday, July 9th to be the next principal at KES.
Mrs. Godina has excelled in a variety of roles in education over the past twenty years. She originally started as an intervention specialist teacher before moving into administration. Missy has been an elementary school principal, high school assistant principal, instructional coach and a special education coordinator. Mrs. Godina has led a variety of professional development including our newly adopted CKLA reading program. She has established herself as a strong instructional leader which will be very beneficial to KES and our district. Mrs. Godina has used data to drive instruction and support students. She believes in establishing strong relationships with her students, staff, families and the community. After being Board approved, Mrs. Godina said, "I am so grateful for the opportunity to take on the role as Principal at Kirtland Elementary School. I am committed to collaborating with students, staff, and families to foster the minds of Kirtland’s youngest learners. I am thrilled to become a Kirtland Hornet and I look forward to our journey together."
Her references said the following about Mrs. Godina:
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She is one of the most hardworking people I have ever met
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She is a problem solver
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She gets along well with others and is very collaborative
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She has a great background in instruction in regular and special education
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She has led in a variety of positions and has done well in them all
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She is very dedicated and is about students
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She is a wealth of knowledge
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I would hire her again in a second if I could
Future information will be coming out on an opportunity for our students, staff, families and community to meet her.
Sincerely,
Chad VanArnhem, Superintendent
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