Former Smith Teacher Returns As New Principal

For new principal Stacie Poelstra, her new position at the school is a homecoming of sorts. Poelstra has worked in the district since 1988. After her first year at the high school, the then Social Studies teacher spent 12 years at Smith.

“I had such a great experience as a teacher at Smith,” Poelstra said. “I was nurtured and encouraged by other teachers and staff members.”

In 2002, the Ramsey resident became the district-wide Supervisor of the Social Studies department.

A decade later, Poelstra said she is excited to return to Smith to replace outgoing Principal Dr. Richard N. Wiener, who she worked with for many years at Smith, and who now serves as the district’s Director of Curriculum.

“I am really excited to be back, and looking forward to working with Smith students and staff in all subject areas,” Poelstra, in the district this year. said.

The new principal’s goals for the year include focusing on character education in the school. “I want the students to look back at their middle school experience as a positive one. Character education focuses on development of their characters, social development, and helping students grow into confident, kind individuals,” she said.

The big change to the school this year is the “iPad initiative,” which is planned to roll out on October 1, when all eighth grade students and teachers will be given an iPad. The pilot program is a response to the growing trend of “using mobile technology on a daily basis,” Poelstra said. Students will be using the iPads as a “productivity tool,” resource for information and tools (like as a graphing calculator using the app for that), and for some assignment completion. However, Poelstra said the initiative does not mean that the school is “fully taking away pen and paper.”

With web filters and safety measures installed into the tablets, Poelstra says offering the iPads to students as personal devices gives them “the opportunity to have all of this at their fingertips all the time.”

The new principal says by combining the technology efforts with an emphasis on character development and “enthusiasm for learning,” Smith is poised to have a “very exciting year.”

Continue to check Patch for updates on the iPad initiative as we get closer to the roll-out date.

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