In with the new at Aspen College District

New Aspen Faculty District human assets director Amy Littlejohn stops for a photo on Friday, July 2, 2021, within Aspen High School. Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Instances.

Fresh faces abound on the Aspen Faculty District administrative roster for the coming 2021-22 school yr, like a new human means director, a new principal and assistant principal at Aspen Center University and a new principal at Aspen Elementary Faculty.

The new guard is the latest batch of hires in a yr-furthermore of much more than a handful of adjustments at the administrative amount, such as the hiring of superintendent David Baugh as nicely as the advertising of Tharyn Mulberry to assistant superintendent and Sarah Strassburger to Aspen Superior University principal last spring. (The district also brought on a new communications director, Kiki Lavine, this spring.)

“I feel, as an administrative crew, we’re a actually new group, and so definitely producing that administrative group appear jointly to help all the faculties in the ideal strategies will be truly essential to operate for me,” claimed Amy Kendziorski, the new middle school principal.



Julie Ramey, now the assistant principal at Aspen Middle University, stated she’s optimistic about new perspectives.

“It’s heading to be new, new and refreshing, which I assume has benefit when there has been a whole lot of modify to carry in some new eyes, and new people today to have interaction with … and assist increase the next measures for the faculty, for the center faculty and for the district,” she claimed.



Hiring THE Employ the service of-ER

Amy Littlejohn normally takes the lead on the human assets entrance, earning the shift to an upvalley district from her previous place in the same position for three years at Roaring Fork Faculty District. Littlejohn started out July 1.

She fills the posture previously held by Dan Blumberg, who was employed in late Oct past year and wrapped up in June. Littlejohn is no stranger to overseeing human assets in a high price tag of dwelling area. (Right before her time in the valley, she used 5 years at Bellevue Union University District in Santa Rosa, California.)

Recruitment is a best target as Littlejohn commences in the new job — there are nearly two dozen open positions in the district as of July 1. She also hopes to delve into the well being treatment advantages obtainable to personnel with aims to dial in on the cost of these advantages, she explained.

New Aspen Middle School Principal Amy Kendziorski poses for a picture on Friday, July 2, 2021, in Aspen. Picture by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times.

Assembly IN THE Middle

Kendziorski begun June 1 as principal at Aspen Middle Faculty Ramey tagged in Monday as assistant principal.

“It’s been amazing, it is been busy but fantastic,” Kendziorski said of her time so significantly. She and Ramey have been in recurrent communication to get the ball rolling, and Kendziorski jam-packed her weeks on the occupation meeting associates of the school neighborhood.

“I feel like my brain has been loaded with so many men and women and so numerous ideas and new matters that I just can’t hold out to basically actually start and have it be an motion, but I will need some time to get that finished, so it’ll be a busy, occupied summertime for absolutely sure,” Kendziorski mentioned. Her summer work will focus on filling open positions and preparing and planning for the new yr.

Kendziorski brings virtually 3 decades of general public education and learning working experience to the situation she previously served as executive director of extraordinary scholar expert services in Eagle County School District. She fills the posture previously held by interim principal Elizabeth Meador.

Ramey is wrapping up her 16th calendar year in training, the bulk of that time invested at Roaring Fork University District, exactly where she has labored due to the fact 2009. She arrives to Aspen Middle School from the Riverview College in Glenwood Springs, exactly where she was the dean of instruction for 4 several years. She fills the position vacated by Jayson Thomas.

“My intention is to help the eyesight and the mission of the faculty district and of Aspen Center College,” Ramey mentioned. She’s coming into the work with a collaborative mentality, she stated, “with that openness of understanding what everyone is coming to the table with, and pondering of techniques that we can proceed to improve systems.”

These packages incorporate implementation of an Global Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, which the board of schooling accredited for middle university and elementary school college students this spring. The superior university already gives IB programs.

Primary Target

Aspen Elementary School principal Ashley Bodkins.
Courtesy picture

Ashley Bodkins is likewise energized about IB implementation, she said. The new Aspen Elementary University principal arrives on campus July 19. She fills the function previously held by Chris Basten, who introduced previously this year he would depart following five many years at the university to take a new gig at High Peaks Elementary School in Boulder.

Bodkins has roots in the Elk Mountains — she and her spouse have had a location in Crested Butte for a long time, and Bodkins put in time in Colorado a couple a long time back again — but has labored in the greater Boston area for most of her schooling vocation. Prior to becoming a member of the Aspen group, she was the principal at Greenlodge Elementary School in Dedham, Massachusetts, for five many years.

“Teaching kids where they are” is a important component of her educational philosophy, she stated.

“I believe that if little ones never truly feel protected, if they don’t have individuals, like standard psychological desires fulfilled, they are going to wrestle with finding out. … I truly feel like making that secure position for young ones to discover, producing and maintaining local community, is seriously vital,” she mentioned. “I truly am of the perception that all little ones can understand, and genuinely retaining a growth frame of mind as well — that, whilst young children could not know a little something however, it doesn’t mean that they will not sooner or later be equipped to discover it.”

kwilliams@aspentimes.com