Interim Sealth Principal: Christopher Kinsey
Email from Dr. Enfield:
August 8, 2011
Dear Chief Sealth International High School community,
I am very pleased to announce Christopher Kinsey as the interim Principal at Chief Sealth International High School.
Mr. Kinsey has spent the past three years as Assistant Principal at Cleveland High School where he helped coordinate and implement the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program and fostered a student-centered learning environment throughout the school. He understands the unique needs of the Chief Sealth community and he will continue the good work of former principal John Boyd. Please join me in welcoming him into the Chief Sealth community!
Mr. Kinsey will serve as the Interim Principal for the 2011-12 school year. As is our practice with an interim appointment, the Chief Sealth community will have an opportunity to provide feedback over the winter. Then, we will decide if a national search needs to be conducted for a permanent principal.
I know Mr. Kinsey will work well with Jeff Clark, Principal of Denny International Middle School, and they will continue creating a strong pathway from middle to high school for our students.
Mr. Kinsey started his career in 1999 as a 7th-grade classroom teacher at Meany Middle School and also served as the Dean and Administrative Intern for Pathways at Nathan Hale High School. He was the House Administrator at Eckstein Middle School for two years. He is a dedicated instructional leader who is committed to working collaboratively with the entire Chief Sealth community to ensure all students have a high-quality education. Mr. Kinsey said he is already proud to be a Seahawk.
With less than a month to the start of the school year, I know Mr. Kinsey will be busy getting ready for Sept. 7. Please look for a letter from him soon. I know he is interested in listening to concerns, advice and goals from students, staff, families and the community about the future of Chief Sealth.
Sincerely,
Susan Enfield, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools
Comments
August 8, 2011
Dear Lowell Elementary School community,
First and foremost thank you for your assistance and your patience over the last several weeks as we began transforming the Lincoln site. Additionally, I want to thank the Lowell leadership and staff for their tireless work as we prepare for the opening of school.
We are in the home stretch and I wanted to provide you with an update regarding leadership for both sites. I apologize for the delayed response, but many factors were involved with this decision.
Gregory King will be the principal overseeing both buildings for the 2011/2012 school year. All professional development for staff will be facilitated by Mr. King. While we recognize that having a school in two sites is less than ideal, we also know that his expertise building Lowell Elementary is critical while maintaining high standards as we move forward.
Marella Francois and Rina Geoghagan will be responsible for the day to day activities at the Lincoln Building. Ms. Geoghagan received her Master’s in Teaching from the Evergreen State College in 2001. After graduating, she taught 5th and 6th grade in the Highly Capable Program in the Shoreline School District. In addition to teaching in the advanced placement program, she also taught third and fourth grade in Shoreline. She was also a literacy coach for two years in Shoreline and worked with teachers to develop curriculum in reading and writing. Her teaching experience also includes teaching 8th grade Language Arts and Social Studies at Whitman Middle School. In 2008, she received her administrative credentials from the University of Washington’s Danforth Program. In 2010 she became the Assistant Principal at Lowell Elementary School. This summer she has continued to work with many APP teachers and is excited about Lowell at Lincoln as a school community.
Ms. Francois comes to us with a wealth of experience in Seattle Public Schools. Most recently, Ms. Francois was the principal at the Evening School which was closed at the end of June. She received her Bachelor of Education and Masters in Education Administration degrees from Seattle University. She has 29 years of service in the Seattle Public Schools. She has served as a teacher, Re-entry Program Manager, Assistant Principal, Middle/High School Principal and Central Office Safety Coordinator. She clearly understands where our children need to be as they exit an elementary program.
In 1982 at the request of the late Dr. Collin Williams, Executive Director of Special Programs, Ms. Francois designed and received Seattle School Board of Directors approval for the implementation for the district’s Behavior Modification Re-Entry Program.
As principal of Madison Middle School, the school became a pioneer in 1992 in gaining the School Board’s approval for the first middle school to have a Site Council. Additionally, Madison Middle School was one of only three middle schools in the United States to gain acceptance to Stanford University’s innovative Accelerated School Project. Hank Levin, Director of Accelerated School Project at Stanford University was responsible for selecting and training middle schools community across the country. The focus was to accelerate the learning of all students.
Additionally, for three consecutive terms Ms. Francois was President of Seattle Middle School Principal’s Association. She was also one of the founding members of the Phi Delta Kappa Chapter at Seattle University. Knowing that the enrollment projections were going to exceed 700, Lowell was in need of an additional administrator. Ms. Francois is thrilled to be a part of this team!
The entire administrative team will be at Lowell Wednesday evening for the PTSA meeting and school tour from 6:30-8:30 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there and I am confident that the team will work tirelessly to ensure that Lowell and Lincoln have a successful school year.
Sincerely,
Nancy Coogan
Executive Director, Central Region
-NE neighbor