Treece
named principal of high school
Treece
previously served as assistant principal at OCHS
By MAGGIE
WILLIAMS
There are big changes going on at Owen County High School, among
them the SBDM council’s decision Thursday to hire Shannon
Treece as the school’s next principal.
Treece
has worked in the Owen County school district for four years –
one as assistant principal at the middle school and two as assistant
principal at OCHS.
This promotion
was a surprise to her, though.
Since Tim
Hitzfield resigned as the principal at OCHS a week before the
start of school, Treece has served as acting principal. “I
wasn’t expecting this,” she said, “but I’m
always up for a challenge.”
In her
two years as assistant principal, Treece built a rapport with
students that is going to serve her well in her new position.
Walking through the halls on Friday, several students congratulated
Treece on her new principalship, and many offered a pat on the
shoulder.
Treece
said she is looking forward to furthering her relationship with
students through new initiatives and one-on-one contact. Her philosophy
is that CATS scores can’t be improved “without a healthy
culture in the school.”
With that
in mind, Treece’s goal is to continue the work in curriculum
instruction while promoting Rebel pride. She wants to see her
students energetic. “I want them to have the ability to
enjoy learning, to have fun, to feel like they are a part of something,”
she said.
The new
freshman community — the brainchild of Treece — is
meant to do just that. Freshmen students are grouped together
in a wing of the high school where they can learn without the
pressures of measuring up to upperclassmen. In the morning, freshmen
can choose either to sit in the gym with sophomores, juniors and
seniors, or to scrapbook, play cornhole or socialize in the freshman
hallway.
The morning
time is “just about having conversations,” Treece
said. With the attitude of “you’re a person, we’re
people,” Treece hopes that students and teachers will be
able to build friendships beyond those of the classroom.
The response
from freshmen is overwhelmingly that they love the freshman center.
Matthew Kent and Ian Zimmermann both said they like having their
classes close by because they are “never late for class.”
Joseph Wood said that he was not expecting to like the arrangement,
but that he gets along with his teachers better than in the past.
“I can talk to them and tell them more stuff,” he
said. “The classes are not too long, but not too short.
The teachers are awesome.”
In addition
to the freshman center, Treece is also planning rallies and other
activities to get students involved in their school. Just last
week she ordered 600 maroon and white T-shirts for students to
wear to this Friday’s football game. Shirts will be sold
to students for $5, and it is Treece’s hope to “flood
the stands with maroon.” Any student wearing their shirt
will be admitted for only $1.
With her
first week as principal behind her, Treece will now begin the
search for an assistant, but she said the faculty and staff of
OCHS have been more than supportive during her transition.
Like her
students, Treece is still settling into being a part of something.
A Henry County native, she said it was hard to move away from
home, leaving her mom and sisters. “I wasn’t sure
how it would work, but there was a plan,” she said.
And as
long as she has the enthusiasm that is bubbling out of her now,
Treece does not plan on leaving any time soon.
“I
want to be here,” she said, “and I want to make a
difference for the students of this county for a long time.”
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