Mrs. Newcomer Interview
The Blackshirt sits down with newly appointed principal, Mrs. Newcomer, to learn a little bit about her, and find out her plans for Waukesha South.
Mrs. Rebecca Newcomer has been appointed as Principal at Waukesha South, leaving her post at Waukesha North. The Blackshirt sat down with her to discuss her plans and intentions for our school.
Mrs. Newcomer will be adding yet another job to her previous list of titles with the School District of Waukesha; she previously taught English at South and was most recently principal at North High School. This announcement comes amidst an air of uncertainty, after former principal Mr. Ryan Galante's resignation.
She hopes that her experience within the district will make for a quick and calm transition. As a dedicated member of the educational community of the district, she believes she will soon be working closely with both staff and students as we carry on.
As principal of South for the foreseeable future, Mrs. Newcomer would like to spend some time getting to know the culture of South before setting any goals too far ahead.
Scaling back, she has a number of items she would like to start work on right away. She told us those items include highlighting our “amazing students and talented teachers” in the community.
She hopes to draw attention to our Engineering Academy, and the Academy of Health Profession, both of which are programs unique to Waukesha South within the district, and many neighboring districts. Sending students to speak with middle school classes and promoting them through the counselors are both a part of her plan to accomplish this target.
Mrs. Newcomer will also be putting a large emphasis on staff and student involvement with the administration. Back at North, she formed what was called the PAC, Principal’s Advisory Committee. On certain mornings, she met with a group of students who may have concerns or questions they would like to bring up, or who wished to simply express their thoughts on recent events concerning the school. Getting this system up and running here at South is another item that she wants to accomplish.
Her involvement with the students won’t just stop there, however. She wants to be supportive of the plethora of clubs and activities that we have here, from volleyball, to robotics, HOSA, the GSA, and the list goes on. A lot of clubs are, as she says, “unfortunately not always on [my] radar,” and that invitations to events and meetings held by the groups is encouraged.
Academically, she talked about what she called developing the whole student. She talked about what each of us will remember in the future years, outlining things like clubs, homecoming week shenanigans, and being with friends at football games, and suggests,“Those memories are what make you a Blackshirt.” While emphasizing that classroom academics are the core of our education, she encourages students to branch out and experience more.
As a closing note, our new principal wanted to ask us all to be patient. All the items that she wants to accomplish, from the involvement of students in administration to the greater recognition of our school, will require lots of time and work. She also warned that we may occasionally see her seated at not just her desk, but ours, too. As a former teacher, she enjoys the environment of a classroom and often enjoys stopping by.