Eagle Point Elementary School Principal Leaving the 'Family' She's Helped Foster

It’s easy to quit a job when things are going downhill, but Principal Kathleen Nadeau said she wanted to be sure the school was in a good place before she decided to leave.

“You always want to leave when the school is in a really positive mode,” said Nadeau, who will retire after this school year. “It just seemed like when I came in earlier this year and I started thinking about it, everything was aligned—the teachers have worked so hard, I think they’re going to soar at what they’re doing this year.”

Nadeau started her career in the small, northern Minnesota town of Fosston in 1972, and later taught kindergarten and third grade at then-Beaver Lake Elementary School. After getting her principal's license she served as principal at Weaver Elementary School and assistant principal at North High School for one year each.

She has been principal at Eagle Point Elementary School for eight years, she said. One major change during that time has been increased pressure to improve test scores—something that Nadeau said she sees having a mixture of negative and positive effects.

For example, kindergarten students now don’t do as many plays or put on a circus like they once did because they have a set curriculum.

“Some of those fun things we used to do with kids, we just don’t have the time now,” she said. “But as a nation, I think we really did need to focus more on reading and math and science.”

First grade teacher Laurie Ylinen said Nadeau has fostered a strong feeling of family and community in the school with lots of parent involvement.

“If you look around our halls, there’s always a parent or two sitting, reading with a student or cutting paper or helping us in some way,” Ylinen said. “That’s the whole family community concept and she fosters that with her friendliness to the parents and community.”

Nadeau’s kindness with the children is an example to the school’s teachers, Ylinen said.

“She rules from the heart,” she said. “She believes in her teachers, and she guides by example.”

Although Nadeau won’t be in a school setting anymore, she won’t be giving up teaching entirely. She’ll be helping her husband provide daycare for their 2-year-old grandchild and one that’s on the way.

“I’ll be my grandson’s preschool teacher in a year or so,” she said.

An ice cream social for past and present students, parents, teachers and members of the community to celebrate Nadeau’s retirement will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 2, in the school’s cafeteria.