Moyer Elementary School within the Fort Thomas Independent Schools announced on April 22 that they would hire Kara Kowalk as the upcoming assistant principal for Moyer Elementary. She will take over this summer when Peter Winkler takes over as principal after the retirement of Dr. Dawn Laber.
Kowalk, formally known as Ms. Yates, used to teach at Moyer Elementary as a fifth-grade teacher before moving to Union Elementary in Lakota Local Schools as an assistant principal.
The hiring process can be long and stressful. Deciding what person is the perfect fit for the assistant principal role is a big deal. A lot of people are a part of the team to help decide who is the perfect candidate. A new principal, Peter Winkler concurs.
Winkler said: “We did have a team, we had a primary teacher representative, an intermediate teacher representative, we had a special education teacher representative, our counselor was a part of the team, so we had a team of teachers that interviewed the applicants and then we as a team decided that Mrs. Kowalk was the right one.”
Along with the team, they have to decide who is the right fit among a big group of people who applied for the job and some applicants are invited in to do an interview in person.
Winkler concluded: “There were a lot of applicants and Mrs. Kowalk was one of a small group that we interviewed and we interviewed her and some other applicants that were fantastic, but the team decided that Mrs. Kowalk was the best fit for Moyer.”
Having an assistant principal who has the right characteristics to succeed is a big part of being hired and being able to fit into the community.
Winkler explained: “I think that Mrs. Kowalk is going to be a great addition to the Moyer staff, she comes with a lot of energy and experience that is going to really be great for Moyer.”
Defining characteristics for not just Mrs. Kowalk but for all applicants is very important when applying for a job like this to make sure that any person would fit at Moyer.
Mr. Winkler continued: “The characteristics that we look for is that they are in it for the kids, so that’s the one thing that is above all, other things is that the person has to be doing it for the right reasons. Mrs. Kowalk is a hard worker, she’s professional, and again brings a lot of excitement to the position.”
The experience of being a principal at another school can help with navigating the differing expectations needed when coming to a new school, even if it’s a different position.
Winkler said: “She also has a lot of experience she is the principal at a school in Lakota right now, so she comes with some experience as a principal but also as an assistant principal, and we knew she was a strong teacher because about 5 years ago she was a teacher here at Moyer for 2 years.”
Many students at Highlands have had Mrs. Kowalk in fifth grade when she taught here. Having her back at Moyer can be an exciting experience for her former students.
Sophomore Jenny Rosenthal said: “As soon as I heard that Mrs Yates came back, I was so excited! She was such an amazing teacher and I am so glad that she is back!”
Since some students had her in fifth grade, they know what her personality is and think that she is a really good fit as an assistant principal at Moyer.
Sophomore Tripp Nicolaus said: “I think she will be great at that position because she has been in that position before, and having her be that at Moyer will benefit the kids and all the people around her. She will always bring a positive energy and perspective on things, while also being great with the kids and teachers. It will bring a positive impact to the school.”
Overall, having a positive, outgoing, and determined person stepping into the assistant principal position will be exciting for not only Moyer but also for the independent school district.