Wyoming — April Chambliss is the new assistant principal at Wyoming Intermediate School, and Colleen Holmes is the new assistant principal at Wyoming Junior High. SNN gets to know them in this edition of Meet Your Administrators.
April Chambliss, a ‘leader-learner’
Wyoming Intermediate School, or ‘The WIS,’ as Chambliss calls it
Previous jobs in education: Chambliss spent 24 years at Grand Rapids Public Schools as a teacher and administrator in multiple roles:
- Teacher at the former Sigsbee Park Elementary, and Henry Paideia Academy (now Martin Luther King Junior Leadership Academy)
- Principal at Campau Park Elementary alternative calendar school
- Assistant principalships at Campus Elementary, Kenosha Elementary and most recently overseeing two schools at Buchanan Elementary and Cesar Chavez
Education:
- Ottawa Hills High School, class of 1993
- Bachelor’s degree, Western Michigan University, 1999
- Master’s degree, K-12 education administration, Michigan State University, 2007
What would you like to share about your family? “I’m a product of a Baby Boomer. At this stage I am having the lovely pleasure — it’s a labor of love — to be a care provider for my mother. I have four sisters, one who recently passed.
“I don’t have human kids, except for the ones in the school, but I have a furbaby, Bella, a Newfoundland who weighs 109 pounds.”
Describe your leadership style in seven words or less: “High expectations built on integrity, loyalty, advocacy.”
If you could spend one day with a person from history who would it be and why? (Writer) James Baldwin. “For me, he’s articulate and the model of being a deep thinker. He reflected on the times and I would love to have a conversation with him on how to be better. I would be interested to know how much we have grown and how much we still need to grow, as a scholar and a thinker. He was very proud of his own culture and wanted to have a better community.”
Your perfect sandwich: Turkey Tom from Jimmy John’s, add provolone
What else would you like us to know about you? “I really do have a passion for learning new things, meeting new people and seeing how I can grow professionally and personally. …I really think of my profession as a passion, a skill and a craft.
“I like to smile and be approachable, especially for our learners. I do have high expectations, not only for our scholars and families but also for myself.
“I am an advocate. I am firm, fair and consistent in my practice. I’m a leader-learner.”
Colleen Holmes, ‘Open ears and an open heart’
Wyoming Junior High
Previous jobs in education:
- Art teacher at Grand River Preparatory Academy
- Art teacher at Kent Education Center – Oakleigh
- Roles at Ottawa Hills High School including art teacher, school improvement administrator and, most recently, assistant principal
Education:
- Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School
- Bachelor of fine arts, painting and printmaking, Michigan State University
- Graduate teaching certification, Grand Valley State University
- Master’s degree, educational leadership, GVSU
What would you like to share about your family? “I have a husband, James, and two kids, Lucy, 10; Forest, 8; a 1-year-old rhodesian ridgeback who weighs 130 pounds; and a turtle named Theodore.
“My whole family is very outdoorsy. We like to ski, hike, camp, rock climb. I like to draw and paint. I am coaching my daughter’s fifth-grade volleyball team for the first time. Volleyball is a hobby of mine as well.”
Your perfect sandwich: “The Schnitz Bakery Gardenburger sandwich with sauerkraut added.”
If you could spend one day with a person from history who would it be and why? “Michelle Obama. I would love to hear her experience as a Black woman moving through politics with her husband and what she experienced. I also love the way she looks at the world and is such a large proponent (of) self-care and awareness, and how she came to gather that strength and those ideas. I would also love to hear how she continues to keep everything so positive.”
Describe your leadership style in seven words or less: “By example, with open ears and heart.”
What do you like about leading this age group of students? “This is a brand-new experience for me coming from a career in high school. I’m excited for the challenges that a new age group brings. I’m excited about the fun that middle school has. They are allowed to do so much learning with so much play, and the kids are still open to new ideas and experiences.”
What else would you like us to know about you? “I’m really excited to be at Wyoming. … It’s been an incredibly welcoming environment and I am looking forward to seeing what I can offer the students and community.”
Read more from Wyoming:
• ‘Now the hard work begins’
• Students’ letters traverse the U.S.
