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NS has gone through many drastic changes this year. On top of dealing with COVID-related restrictions, the school has several new faculty and staff members, including new administrators. For the first time in years, NS has gained not only one, but two new administrators, and they are both new to the school.
“You don’t often see a completely different administration,” said Principal Christy Straatman.
Despite the many challenges right now, both the new principal and assistant principal say that everyone is learning how to make things run smoothly and work together, doing their part to make this a good year.
“It’s been crazy,” said assistant principal Natalie Stansfield. “Christy and I are just figuring it out as we go.”
One of the biggest challenges, on top of the normal difficulties of figuring out a new, complex job, has been the struggles figuring out how to deal with Covid-19.
“It’s been an interesting transition,” said Straatman.
The beginning was hard because of all the unknown, and it took time to find what would work and what wouldn’t.
“Challenging,” said Straatman, “but I love a good challenge.”
Everything is different and everyone has had to figure things out together to make it work as best they can, but both administrators are determined to have a good attitude about all the struggles.
“You have to be positive about it,” Stansfield said.
Before school started, Straatman and Stansfield were coming into the high school not knowing what their first year was going to look like.
“We were just kind of blind,” Stansfield said. “We didn’t know what we were doing. But once we made a decision, we had a plan.”
Both are optimistic that this year will still turn out to be one of the best.
“The longer we do this, the more comfortable it will be,” Straatman said. “We’re just figuring it out.”
Straatman came from a different school district. Coming from Granite School
District, she has moved from several schools, learning and becoming an amazing administrator. Coming from Hunter High School, she has also seen a few changes to her career.
“Everything we do at North Sanpete is different [from] my other schools,” she said. “It’s been wonderful.”
Before her time at Granite School District, Straatman spent nine years at NS
working at the EDNET building. She is excited to be back.
“I’ve been doing this for a while now,” Straatman said. “I have a lot of admin experience, but it’s been a new journey for me.”
Straatman chooses to be optimistic about the challenge she has been placed in.
“I believe that life puts you where you need to be,” Straatman said.
She didn’t know that she would be moving to NS or that there would be an opening for the principal position at the high school.
“In the moment, I was where I was supposed to be,” Straatman said.
Straatman has moved both her and her husband down to Sanpete County for
the opportunity to have this job. They are currently living in a small one-bedroom apartment. They will soon be building a home in Spring City.
Prior to coming to NS, Stansfeild was a teacher at Mount Pleasant Elementary.
“It’s busier [than the elementary], but I wouldn’t say more stressful,” Stansfield said.
Stansfield enjoys being more involved with the school. She says that this is a new kind of stress. But a good one.
“I love it, it’s a lot of fun,” she said.
Stansfield says she loved the elementary, but the high school has been a
good kind of different.
When coming to a new job, as both of these ladies have, people always have ideas that they want to bring to the table.
“I want to jump in and work on our ESL program,” Straatman said. “I gained a lot of experience [at Granite] and I would love to come here and help with that.”
Straatman loves the feel of NS and loves all of the different programs that are offered here. Stansfield feels similarly.
“I think it’s a great school, and I love how they run things,” Stansfield also said.
She would like to get a feel for the school before she changes things.
“Ask me that question again in three years,” she said.
