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Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 64F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 64F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Jenna Gaston of Punxsutawney officially became the assistant principal at Jeff Tech on Aug. 8.
Jenna Gaston of Punxsutawney officially became the assistant principal at Jeff Tech on Aug. 8.
REYNOLDSVILLE — Jeff Tech (Jefferson County Vocational Technical School) has kicked off the 2022-23 school year with Jenna Gaston as its new assistant principal. A Punxsutawney native, Gaston has an extensive background and certification in education. But, it’s her passion for schools and bettering communities that shines the brightest.
Ironically, Gaston says she was a quiet and unmotivated student when she attended Punxsutawney Area High School. After becoming a mother, she says, is when she realized she needed to invest in a longterm plan for she and her son’s future.
“Along the way, I had a few teachers who saw something in me and invested their time and energy in forming a connection with me as an individual,” said Gaston, crediting these individuals for leading her to enroll at Clarion University as a fine arts major.
After completing her undergraduate degree in art education at Edinboro University in 2003, Gaston started teaching in Warren Area School District, before being hiring as a kindgergarten-through-12th-grade visual arts teacher at Tidioute Community Charter School.
“The unique circumstances of the school created opportunities to work in a leadership capacity as the electives department chair and lead teacher. Through those experiences, I realized that I really enjoyed work that not only improved the educational experience for my students, but also for the school community,” she said, noting that she then started a master’s degree in educational leadership.
During this time, Gaston’s husband was offered a job in Punxsutawney, and they seized the opportunity to move back.
Gaston worked in DuBois Area School District in 2005, at both DuBois Area High School and Oklahoma Elementary School, later transitioning to a permanent schedule at the high school.
“The experiences and opportunities afforded to me while working in DASD, with incredible educators and leaders, set me on the path to complete my principal’s certification through IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) in 2017,” said Gaston.
She then became assistant principal of Clearfield Area Elementary School in 2019, with her first year ending with the COVID-19 closures.
“I am grateful for the opportunities I had to learn and lead the CAE community, alongside the CASD leadership team,” said Gaston.
When asked what strengths and qualities a good administrator possesses, Gaston says the answer she gives today would have been very different from three years ago.
“Experience certainly changes things and I expect I will look at it very differently after the next three, particularly having spent the majority of my experience during a pandemic that radically changed every aspect of education,” she said.
But, the qualities of a good administrator never change.
“Good administrators are student-centered, community oriented and are engaged in lifelong learning,” she said.
Gaston noted she has been blessed with “exceptional” role models over the years, such as Roger Collins, Wendy Benton, Terry Struble and now, Jeff Tech Principal Missy Mowrey and Administrative Director Barry Fillman.
Officially joining the Jeff Tech team on Aug. 8, Gaston says the experience has been far better than she could’ve imagined. She is excited to be doing work that directly impacts her home communities.
“What I immediately noticed is how every member of the faculty and staff come together to support one another and to keep things moving for our kids. Now that our students are back, I am seeing how deeply invested we are as a community –in our kids and the commitment everyone has to them succeeding. I am so proud to be doing this work, in this place, with these people,” she said.
At Jeff Tech’s August school board meeting, Fillman introduced Gaston to the committee, and said he feels she is a tremendous addition to the school.
Her goals for Jeff Tech include getting to know students and the school community to best serve them, said Gaston, providing them a safe place to learn, opportunities to succeed and the support they need to do so.
“As a supervisor, I am looking forward to getting to know our staff and working with them to provide a learning environment that supports student and professional success. I am honored to be working alongside this administrative team. They have a wealth of knowledge, and have created a system that is growing by leaps and bounds,” she said.
Gaston said she believes school leaders should lead with integrity, courage and commitment to making the best decisions for the students and school community as a whole. She also believes supporting the work of teachers is significantly important, as they are then able to focus on meeting needs of the students and the environment they learn in.
Gaston is looking forward to working alongside Mowrey and Fillman at Jeff Tech, she said, to “assist in implementing a vision that continues to lead to student success, and the positive contributions our students are making in our communities.”
“This is an exciting time to be at Jeff Tech. I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to be a part of shaping the future here,” she said.
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