This is Jeff's 20th year as an elementary school principal in the Lake Washington School District. He came here after 5 years as an administrator in the Battle Ground School District which followed a few years teaching (3rd, 4th & 6th grades) in the Evergreen School District of Vancouver, Washington.
Jeff grew up in Bellingham where his mother and father still live. He attended elementary school at The Campus School on the campus at Western Washington State College (now Western Washington University). The Campus School was a rich, lively learning environment with looms, potter's wheels, kilns, easels, workbenches with saws, hammers and nails! It also had a world class library, two gyms and access to the college's swimming pool . Jeff never became very good at throwing pottery but he did learn to read, shoot hoops and swim! |
Jeff's wife, Suzanne, teaches 5th grade at Norman Rockwell. His eldest daughter, Amy, teaches 5th grade and Safety Net at Mark Twain while also completing her administrative internship. Elizabeth, his younger daughter, and once a student at Glenwood Elementary in Vancouver where her dad was principal, is the payroll manager for Honda of Bellevue.
Jeff has a long commitment to the inclusion of children with disabilities into the mainstream of school life. In 1990, while the principal at Emily Dickinson, he wrote the grant that brought inclusion to the LWSD. The work of the Dickinson staff resulted in the school receiving the Program Excellence Award from the Association For Supervision and Curriclum Development. Also, for its work in bringing inclusion to public schools, Emily Dickinson was named one of the 100 "Best Schools In America" by Redbook Magazine.
Also while at Emily Dickinson, Jeff supported the development of one of the finest theater programs in any public elementary school in our state. Students, staff and parents performed William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The following year Jeff and Beth Van Blaricom had roles in George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's You Can't Take It With You. This work set the stage for the current work by Beth and others in the Rosa Parks' Drama Club & Theater, a program that has now enriches the lives of many students while serving as a model for other schools in our state.
During his long career Jeff has been the recipient of many awards. In 1989 he was named Outstanding Adminstrator Of the Year by the Battle Ground Education Association. He received the Outstanding Service Award during his tenure at Maple Grove Primary School and was named Outstanding Principal by PTSA Service Region 2 in 1992. In 2001 Jeff was honored to receive the Bell Ringer award from the A.G. Bell PTSA for his enthusiasm, dedication and service to children. He has received the Golden Acorn from local PTSA units several times.
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