April 29, 2021 rustlernews.com
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NEW CMR PRINCIPAL CONFIRMED FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR by Taylor Willmarth, editor Associate Principal Jamie McGraw won’t officially move into the CMR principal’s office for a couple of months, but she has begun putting plans in place to lead the Rustler family following a year like no other. “There’s no road map to bring a building this size out of a pandemic.” A longtime educator and administrator, McGraw has accepted the job of principal at C. M. Russell High School, and will begin her new journey starting July 1. McGraw was an English teacher at CMR before transferring to North Middle School as an associate principal. She has also directed career and technical education at the district level. She recently moved back to CMR when she traded roles with Associate Principal Anita Ranieri, who is now at North Middle School. Outside of her work, McGraw values spending time with her family. Her daughter Emma is a seventh grader at North Middle School. Her son Matt, 17, will graduate from CMR next month, and her daughter Katie, 20, will graduate from the secondary life skills program at Paris Gibson Education Center this spring. Her husband of 22 years, Sergeant Brian McGraw, is a law enforcement officer with the Great Falls Police Department. “One of the most important things we are charged with doing, whether here at work or at home, is raising good human beings,” she said. “We should be kind and compassionate. I think that we should have integrity and take responsibility. I try to model that.” McGraw said that her view of teachers has changed since becoming an administrator. “Honestly, I know that teachers are more important now than I ever did when I was one,”
she said. “I will tell you any day of the week that what teachers do in the classroom is by far more important than what I do down here in the office. There is no doubt in my mind about that. My job is to make sure that they have everything they need to do the best by their students.” McGraw said that there are many educational challenges that she is eager to address, but the most concerning issue moving forward is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. “You can’t go to a mentor and ask [for advice] because no one has ever done this before,” she said. “I think that getting back to the things that we enjoy and appreciate in this building will be a challenge. Relationship building is important, but we have to do it safely.” McGraw says that she hopes that masks will not be required next year because it is challenging to build relationships when you are unable to fully see what people look like. “I think things are opening up and we will be in a much better place next year,” she said. “However, I don’t have any concrete evidence that masks will not be required. I can only hope.” McGraw believes that students and teachers have a renewed interest in school events and traditions because of the pandemic. “I think that we are more appreciative of the events that we didn’t get to have,” she said. “People are going to be more enthusiastic about going to all of the events from art and music to athletics.” McGraw said that she learned leadership skills from retiring Principal Kerry Parsons that she hopes to incorporate into her role next year. “I’m pretty enthusiastic about a lot of things,” she said. “I really admire [Parsons’] sense of grounded leadership, and he has set a really nice example for that. He’s also
always willing to listen to anyone who comes to him and takes input from all parties before making a decision, which is something I have definitely learned from him.” McGraw said that one of her most crucial roles as an administrator is to help build relationships between staff members and students. “You need to build relationships before engaging in rigorous academics because students are less likely to embrace rigor if there isn’t a relationship there first,” she said. McGraw is excited to lead the school next year, and she doesn’t have any plans for leaving in the near future. “I could end my career here. I don’t have any desire to go As an associate principal, anywhere but McGraw has placed an here. CMR has emphasis on building school always felt culture and spirit. One way like home.”
JAMIE MCGRAW
A Warm Welcome
she expands inclusivity is by creating green and gold welcome kits for new teachers and staff transitioning to CMR. “This year, we have nine new staff members,” she said. “We try to make everyone feel welcomed and at home.”
photo by Taylor Willmarth
