EWMS’s King named District 12 Principal of the Year

When Amber (Sater) King visited East Washington Middle School for the first time in the spring of 2013, she was a bit on edge.

“I had just been hired, and they held a meet and greet with the staff before I would become their principal that fall,” she said. “I was a young teacher and a nervous wreck doing my best to fake confidence on that day!”

That changed quickly, however and the people she met became her family-away-from-family.

“On a personal level, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be and that we would support each other,” she said. “On a professional level, I was ecstatic with the potential I saw and the obvious talent that surrounded me.”

And what potential she saw, she ran with.

Over the next few years, the school underwent a lot of changes. Academically, King said, scores are high and the programs are top rate. The middle school has seen a new technology and engineering program that the school hopes to expand next year.

“The kids are coding, designing machinery and building robots,” she said. “It’s impressive!”

She was principal as the school began its transition to 1:1, putting a Chromebook in each student’s hands to be used at home and in the classroom.

Teacher Amanda Hurst called King “phenomenal … energetic, caring, compasssionate and genuinely loves the kids and staff at East Washington.

“Amber continuously seeks out opportunities that encourage not only the kids, but the staff as well, to learn and grow to become leaders.”

Teacher Amy Dean agreed.

“Amber is one of the most innovative and creative educators I’ve ever met,” she said. “She is constantly coming up with new ideas to make EWMS a school that kids enjoy attending by incorporating everything from a rock band to Harry Potter style houses. Amber also brings a level of energy and excitement to the school which is contagious. Because of her willingness to step out of the box and try new things, she inspires teachers to do the same. She has created an environment where teachers are excited to learn and grow. Last, and most importantly, she has created a fantastic school culture for our students. They are learning their regular subjects like literature, history, and science, but also life skills like how to greet someone properly, how to carry on a formal conversation, and the art of kindness. She is truly an inspirational leader, and I am a better educator because of my time spent working with her.”

One of the most notable changes lately, and the one King said she’s most proud of, has been cultural. The school has introduced a house system (think Harry Potter) and the Musketeer Creed, a list of rules to live by and enforced in the daily lives of students at school.

“We’ve added the Amazing Shake to teach professionalism, charisma, confidence, kindness and manners to our students, and I have bigger plans for that next year!” she said. “We’re also adding social media to the curriculum next year. We want our students to be problem solvers in the digital world, not problem makers!

“It’s been a culmination of initiatives, but I love the enthusiasm and support that we have going among staff and students,” she continued. “It’s like seeing your baby walk. The expectations are becoming a reality, and it’s taken the whole EWMS family to do it. I think we’re all pretty proud.”

King said she’s currently working on developing a traveling leadership team to visit other schools and bring back ideas to EWMS.

Aesthetically, the lobby and classrooms have changed pretty drastically and King says she’s not done.

“We turned the lobby into a castle last summer and it’s been a huge hit!” she said. “We painted over 4,000 bricks to look like castle stone! It’s amazing! I can’t share the details of this summer’s projects because we want to surprise the kids, but I’ll say that we’re completely overhauling the library, courtyard and bathrooms. The themes we’ve picked out are very creative! … I’m blessed to have a staff that’s willing to volunteer their time to make these things happen!”

Teacher Anna Marie Endris said King really encourages her teachers to think outside the box in their pursuit of helping kids learn.

“No matter how crazy or different our ideas are, if it’s something that will make our school a better learning environment for our kids, she will find a way to make it happen,” said Endris. “She has high expectations for her staff and students and has helped to make our school an exciting place to learn.”

King’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, not just by her staff and fellow administrators, but by her peers in education. She was selected as this year’s District 12 Principal of the Year.

“To me, there’s no better award you get than when your peers give you something like that,” said Superintendent Dennis Stockdale during the April school board meeting. He continued the following Friday in an interview, “I’m fortunate to have three strong prinicpals. The transformation is exciting and what she’s doing with her students and staff working together makes her the right choice.”

“The 10 counties that make up District 12 are filled with wonderful schools and administrators,” said King. “To be chosen for this honor is very humbling and it definitely fuels my fire to work harder and do more.”

But she couldn’t make these changes, she says, without the help of her staff and fellow administrators.

“I’m 100 percent a dreamer,” she said. “Ultimately, I want our school to be so filled with joy and high expectations that it becomes a place people want to be. I don’t want everyone to count down the days until the end of the school year, I want them to count down the days until the beginning … Thankfully, I have a very patient partner in Tom Cullen, my assistant principal. I dream and he helps me figure out how we can make it happen. I’m also lucky to have Dennis Stockdale as my superintendent. He’s not only allowed these transformations to happen, but he’s encouraged it!”

“Amber is an outstanding leader who inspires and motivates her staff and students to always push for their personal best,” said Cullen. “Because of her strong leadership skills and innovative ideas, she is creating a culture of excellence, student engagement, and a place were students want to be.”

“Amber is an amazing principal!” said teacher David Grable. “She is passionate, caring, hardworking, and loves every one of our students. She goes above and beyond in so many ways. She wants to see our students succeed not only academically, but she teaches them how to be charismatic leaders … From a teacher’s perspective, Amber is an excellent leader. She provides opportunities for us to grow as educators, creates a work environment that you look forward to coming to each day, and she has a great way of motivating you. She is the type of leader that makes her staff want to work harder and do their very best.”“Amber is an amazing principal to work with,” said Lisa Thomas. “She encourages you to be the best you can be and to take risks to improve your teaching. She believe every teacher is an individual and by honoring that, teachers are able to bring the best academic opportunities for their students. She is truly an amazing educator!”

Does your school's principal hold dance parties with students? King does! See that here!