Dr. Jamie Jordan Named Missouri Middle School Principal of the Year

Good news for the school district just keeps rolling in!  Yesterday morning we awoke to the delightful announcement that Brittany Woods principal Dr. Jamie Jordan has been named Missouri Middle School Principal of the Year by The Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP). This follows hot on the heels of her 2012 Middle School Principal of the Year award from the St. Louis Association of Secondary School Principals.  This is a big deal – Dr. Jordan was selected from a pool of more than 400 middle school principals across the state – but not really surprising to those of us with kids at Brittany Woods. 

I spend several hours volunteering in the building each week.  While there, I have the opportunity to observe a lot of teachers and a lot of students, and I can give a firsthand account of the pleasant atmosphere at Brittany Woods - spending time there is something I look forward to.  I give credit to Dr. Jordan for cultivating an environment in which staff clearly care about the students and understand their unique and diverse needs, and strive to meet those needs with compassion and professionalism. The students I encounter are polite and respectful and engaged in the learning process, another feather in Dr. Jordan’s cap.  There is a palpable sense of dedication (to students, to parents, to families, to staff, to learning) among all of the stakeholders at Brittany Woods, and that speaks to strong leadership.

After the news broke I was chatting with BW librarian Kelly Werthmuller about the exciting announcement.  She remarked that the staff was proud, and that Dr. Jordan’s accomplishments “underscore the many good things that are happening at Brittany Woods each and every day. “  She’s right – as much as Dr. Jordan should be recognized for making positive changes at Brittany, we should also recognize that this is an honor shared by the many people who make those good things happen, day in and day out.  Recognition has long seemed to be something we don’t get enough of. Perhaps this honor will change that.

We have much to be proud of - we’ve got robotics and archery and chess club and cool field trips to learn about nanotechnology at Wash U. We have outstanding young musicians in our jazz band and other music programs, a Latin program that is optime, and all kinds of sports opportunities.  We have rigorous academics,  stars of stage and screen, a huge chapter of the National Junior Honor Society, and generous hearts that reach out to the community.  We have all this, and so much more.  And now, we have the Missouri Middle School Principal of the Year.  Good things indeed.

Kim Deitzler, guest blogger