MIDDL E S CH O O L
Katie Baker NEW HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BRINGS IDEAS AND EXPERIENCE
“ I believe that we all have toolboxes. A teacher I once worked with said to me, ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather. You just don’t have the right clothes for it.’ To me, a toolbox is the same as having the right clothes available for the weather that comes your way. Having the right tools to pull from at the right time is crucial to success, as is being thoughtful and deliberate about building an effective toolbox.”
A
s Interim Co-Head of Middle School, (a job and title she shared with Trent Tormeohlen) Katie Baker successfully traversed a difficult 2020-21 school year. It involved, among dozens of other things, figuring out, under the difficult circumstances of being an interim leader in a year of COVID, how to make the year fulfilling for students, be supportive of teachers, and be a person who as seamlessly as possible makes Sycamore’s Middle School run smoothly. As the school year came to a close, and the 8th Grade Graduation ceremonies provided a bittersweet yet joyous ending, it really was a “we made it” kind of moment. For Baker it is an end and a beginning. “There’s been a successful balance this year of being productive while navigating another transitional year with some small changes that have had a big impact. This is
especially important as we will be moving forward with uncertainty regarding COVID. Next year, it will be important to continue to foster a school climate of positivity, consistency, and predictability for students, parents, and faculty, while moving forward with a ‘small-change, big-impact’ frame of mind.” Baker, who has been at Sycamore School for 20 years as a teacher, had a desire to move into a leadership role. “I have been thinking about administration for a few years, and the interim position was an opportunity to see if it was a good fit, both professionally and personally, knowing that the opportunity to apply for the permanent position was a possibility.” Baker says she has enjoyed being a change agent and making a broader impact in the role over the past year. “There are many
16
155_SycamoreMag_Sum21_PRINT.indd 16
6/24/21 10:09 AM
