Kennedy Elementary School, which enrolls around 435 students, has a new principal for the upcoming school year.
Kelsey Harris recently joined the administration team leading 50 employees and she has rich family ties to Kennedy.
“My vision for this year included fostering collaboration, growth, and joy for students, staff and families,” Harris said.
On the wall of her new office hangs her father’s class photo from Kennedy. Fifty-nine years ago, he was a sixth grader at Kennedy. The school opened just years earlier in 1964, the third-oldest elementary school in Keizer.
After Harris was born, her family moved across the country. She wouldn’t return to the area until returning for graduate school at Willamette University.
“I moved in with my grandma here in the Keizer neighborhood, and I actually did my student teaching here at Kennedy 16 years ago,” she said.
Then she taught second and fourth grade at Chávez Elementary School and Morningside Elementary School in Salem. She has also served as a teacher mentor and behavioral specialist.
Last year, she was the assistant principal for Swegle Elementary School.
“When I interviewed for the principal position and they offered me Kennedy, it was this culminating, dream-come-true experience,” Harris said. “I would’ve never anticipated this whole trajectory that guided me here.”
She said her time at Chávez inspired her later aspirations for leadership roles.
“I could see the profound influence that a leader has over an entire community,” she said. “And that was inspiring to begin this journey toward leadership that led me toward those various positions.”
With the word ‘principal’ now written on her office door, she pulls on experience from those earlier positions. At Swegle, for example, she learned the importance of reaching out to families.
“That’s a huge part of this role, being a bridge between the students and the staff and the families,” she said. “I’m grateful that I had that experience.”
Though she didn’t mention a specific roadblock threatening the school, Harris is confident that her staff can overcome unexpected challenges.
“Certain things are outside of our control that are unpredictable. I don’t know what the future will hold,” she said. “But I do know that no matter what, when our core beliefs are in line with our daily action – that we’re here to help kids and serve our community – we can do impossible things.”
Harris mentioned that Kennedy has an established relationship with the community, including a range of family events. She hopes to maintain those initiatives in the coming years.
She also aims to inspire collaboration among teachers to create meaningful and engaging lessons in the classroom.
“And, I think it’s super important for students to have a sense of belonging,” she said. “I would love to see an increase in our attendance and a student’s joyful excitement in coming to school every day. I want to create a space where staff and students love to be.”
News tip? Contact reporter Riley Ellis: [email protected].
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