Matthew Price

Brian Harper, his staff, his students, and their parents have seen their fair share of strong assistant principals come and go recently but all stakeholders seem to agree that this year's crop is exceptional. Assistants Angie Woods and Matt Houser are proving themselves to be more than capable and quite respectable. Tony Jarvis is taking his reputation as a knowledgeable, professional history teacher into his new role as Assistant/Instructional Coach.

Assistant principal Angie Woods made her entrance to the LOHS scene when Jon Reid exited to take the lead at Heath High School. Woods' job title last year was the same as Jarvis' this year. The SBDM promoted her to full time assistant at the end of last year. Her responsibilities include female discipline, testing organization, and teacher meetings. Scholastically dedicated, she gathers teachers once a month during their planning time to discuss classroom discipline and teaching strategies, a helpful opportunity presented through Professional Learning Communities (PLC). Woods misses her 8th grade science classroom to which she devoted 13 years of her teaching career, but was looking for something different: "You can only teach the Big Bang theory so many times. I loved being a science teacher but I wanted a way to influence students in later stages of their educations."

Matt Houser also moved from the classroom into the assistant principal's office. Some LOHS students will remember Houser from his previous job as a 5th grade math teacher at Hendron Lone Oak Elementary. The boys soccer players were familiar with Houser as he coached varsity for several years. Houser was hired by the SBDM at the end of last year and spent his summer juggling two new roles, LOHS assistant principal and Assistant Director for the Purchase Area Writing Project (PAWP) at Murray State University. Houser has great joy for his work and especially likes interacting with the student body. "I want the kids here to know me and feel comfortable talking to me."

The final new member of the LOHS administration is well-known to LOHS students. Tony Jarvis taught U.S. History for 9 years and prior to that Economics and Government for 3 years. He has also previously coached girls basketball and softball. Jarvis decided to pursue an administrative position "to make a bigger impact outside the classroom, on the school as a whole."� The students of Lone Oak are sure to benefit from Jarvis's further contribution to their school.

Principal Brian Harper credits his new team members for willingly working long hours and diligently enforcing the LOHS expectations. Mr. Harper has great expectations for his new administration and is confident that they will help make Lone Oak High School's learning environment the best it has ever been.