Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘new hire’

Turner earns gridiron promotion

Posted in Football, tagged , , , , on August 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Alex Turner rocks an impressive amount of hair last fall. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Coupeville High School football has a new assistant coach, and he’s a familiar face.

Former Wolf player Alex Turner, who has been working with the program as a volunteer, has been hired to replace Brett Casey, who stepped down at the end of last season to focus on his work as a teacher.

The hire was confirmed Thursday by Coupeville Athletic Director Brad Sherman and will be official once approved by the school board at its next meeting.

CHS gridiron gurus are shuffling their duties, with head coach Bennett Richter moving to the offensive side of the ball, while assistant coach Bobby Carr has taken over the defense.

Turner, who played his senior season for Coupeville after suiting up for South Whidbey for several years, will now coach special teams while continuing to work with position players.

The 2019 CHS grad attended school and played sports in Cow Town as a middle school athlete and high school freshman, before moving South before his sophomore year.

He was an All-Conference lineman for the Falcons, and a successful wrestler.

After returning to Coupeville, Turner was a force on the football field for the Wolves, then qualified for the 1A state tourney as the school’s lone grappler, going 2-2 at Mat Classic XXXI in Tacoma.

Read Full Post »

CHS/CMS tabs new Assistant Principal

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on July 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Erica McColl

Help is on the way.

Coupeville High School/Middle School Principal Geoff Kappes will have key support crew in place again, with the news that Erica McColl is being hired as Assistant Principal.

McColl, who currently holds that position at Anacortes Middle School, replaces Leonard Edlund, who resigned after a medical leave of absence.

The new hire will be official after the school board approves it at its next meeting.

McColl has worked in Anacortes since 2022.

Before that, she was an assistant principal in the Marysville School District and the Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Manager with the Edmonds School District.

McColl, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in counseling, began her career in California. 

Kappes issued a statement Monday heralding the new hire:

 

I am thrilled to share the exciting news that I am recommending Erica McColl to the Board of Directors to fill the position of Assistant Principal at Coupeville Middle and High School.

Erica brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role, making her an outstanding addition to our team.

With a strong background in school counseling, trauma-informed practices, Multi-Tiered System of Supports, and instructional leadership, Erica has demonstrated a deep commitment to fostering a supportive and effective learning environment for all students.

Her expertise will be invaluable as we continue to enhance our educational programs and support systems for our students.

The interview team believes that Erica’s skills and experiences will greatly benefit our school community and we are confident that she will make a significant positive impact in her new role.

Erica met with Superintendent (Shannon) Leatherwood and me Friday morning and we both agreed that she is a great fit for CMHS.

Please join me in welcoming Erica McColl to CMHS. We look forward to the board’s approval and to the many contributions she will make to our school.

Read Full Post »

Coupeville’s former super Supe lands big job

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , , on June 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Dr. Jim Shank and daughter Ashlie hang out at a game in 2018. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The good doctor is off to Utah once more.

Former Coupeville Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Shank will head up the Emery County School District in Huntington after being hired earlier this week.

As district superintendent, he will oversee two high schools, two middle schools, and six elementary schools.

Shank, who was a finalist when Coupeville replaced the departing Steve King earlier this year, has most recently been employed by the North Beach School District.

During his stint on Central Whidbey, which ran from 2013-2018, the dapper doctor was instrumental in numerous projects being completed.

This included, but wasn’t limited to, a new track oval and facilities, new bleachers in the gym, a new stadium at Mickey Clark Field, and the creation of the Wall of Fame in the CHS gym.

He also was a huge supporter when we held the 101st anniversary of Coupeville High School boys’ basketball.

Before arriving on Whidbey, Dr. Shank was a principal and Director of Federal Programs with the Idaho Falls School District.

He then served as a superintendent in Juab, Utah, and followed up his Coupeville stint with jobs in Idaho before returning to Washington.

Three of his and Sallie’s children — Matt, Brian, and Ashlie — attended Coupeville schools, with the first two of that trio graduating from CHS.

Read Full Post »

Leatherwood tabbed as new superintendent

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on April 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Shannon Leatherwood

There’s a first time for everything.

The Coupeville School Board made its selection to replace departing Superintendent Steve King in an executive session Wednesday, choosing the only one of four finalists who does not have previous experience in the job.

Shannon Leatherwood, currently the Principal at Spanaway Middle School, is scheduled to start her new job in July.

She emerged from a final four which included Tim LaGrange, Scott Peacock, and Dr. Jim Shank, who previously led Coupeville schools from 2013-2018.

The new superintendent, who has a Master of Education degree from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Education from Saint Martin’s University, has continued her education through Central Washington University and Washington State University.

Leatherwood has worked in the Bethel School District the past seven years, with a seven-year stint in Tumwater schools prior to that.

She was selected as the 2023 Washington State Secondary Principal of the Year for her work at Spanaway Middle School.

Coupeville School Board President Morgan White released the following statement from the board Thursday morning:

 

Dear Coupeville Community,

The Coupeville School District Board of Directors is proud to announce that Ms. Shannon Leatherwood has been selected as the next Superintendent of Coupeville Schools. 

We were fortunate to have four excellent finalists, and our decision-making process was not easy.

After a thorough evaluation of input from the community, school staff, students, and administrators, we feel confident, excited and hopeful about the future of our school system.

Ms. Leatherwood has an incredible track record of academic excellence, financial responsibility, experience with capital projects, grant writing, and team building.

We believe that she brings the energy, passion, vision, values, and skills required to implement and execute our strategic plan.

She has been recognized across the state and nationally for her abilities to lead teams and improve school systems.

Ms. Leatherwood grew up in a small Washington town and comes to us from the Bethel School District.

Her employment is pending a background check and successful contract negotiation which we expect to be finalized by the end of the month.

Thank you to all of our stakeholders for assisting with this process.

Your direction, guidance, and input was not taken lightly and we are so thankful to have a community that prioritizes education and cares for our students and staff.

Read Full Post »

Break the bank for Shank!!

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , , on February 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Dr. Jim Shank, enjoying a moment of Zen in the CHS gym while sitting beneath his beloved “Sad Coyote” painting. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The biggest potential free agent on the market is still out there, Cow Town. Get this thing done!

As the Coupeville School District conducts a superintendent search, no name delivers the same pizazz as Dr. Jim Shank.

And now, with the Longview School District choosing a different candidate Friday to fill its own open position, the dapper doctor could be back in play for a return to Whidbey Island.

Dr. Karen Cloninger, who is coming from Spokane, was chosen over two other finalists who both graduated from Longview-area schools — Shank and John Hannah.

So now the buzz gets going again.

Does Dr. Shank remain with the North Beach School District in Grays Harbor County?

Or will he consider bouncing back to reclaim the top seat in a Coupeville School District he led to great success from 2013-2018?

Will the lure of “The Sad Coyote” bring him back to Cow Town??

I’m asking you, for I do not know the answer.

School board members are notoriously tight-lipped and ultra-professional about stuff like this, and I haven’t been able to electronically bug all the district offices … yet.

But I know what I want, and that’s to see the man who gave us a new stadium, a new track oval, and both new bleachers and the Wall of Fame in the gym, come ambling back down Main Street.

Only time will tell how this story plays out, but I got a crisp fiver here to help sweeten the pot.

Don’t go for a single or try to leg out a double, Coupeville. Swing for the fences on this one.

Break the bank (if need be) for Shank!

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »