Getting to know Saddleback Elementary School’s first principal

From the end of one historic era to the start of a new one, that is the story of Saddleback Elementary School’s new principal, Jayme Amick.

Amick’s teaching career started on the end of an era for the Rock School, which was in the Meeker Colorado School district.

The Rock school was an 80-plus-year-old, single-room school reminiscent of the days of old.

She was there for one year and taught kindergarten through fifth grade.

After one year of teaching at the ancient school, the district terminated Amick’s position and closed the school.

“It became too cost prohibitive to keep the school open because it was 40 miles from the nearest town and the district had to bus students in and out,” Amick said.

Once closed, the state declared the old, single-room school to be historic.

However, her single year there Amick said she learned one of her most valuable teaching lessons: the importance of community involvement.

“The school was so far away from the cities it served it would not have been successful without community involvement,” Amick said.

One parent even went as far as to teach Amick how to make butter and milk a cow.

Amick would continue her teaching career after leaving the old school, eventually securing a job as principal of Dutch Creek Elementary School in Colorado.

Dutch Creek was one of the feeder schools for the Columbine High School.

“I arrived there after the tragedy that occurred at the Columbine, but working in that community enforced in me the importance of community involvement,” Amick said.

Amick’s career at Dutch Creek ended when a family emergency forced her and her family to move to Arizona.

So move to Arizona they did.

My husband found a job in Casa Grande that was a lateral career move and my family was located in the Phoenix area, so we decided to move to Maricopa, Amick said.

It wasn’t the first time Amick had been to the city.

Amick grew up in Yuma and remembered when she would have to ride a bus from Yuma to Phoenix for school sporting events.

“We would always drive through Maricopa, but back then it was nothing,” Amick said.

Now Amick has the opportunity to help build the reputation of a brand new school.

“The great thing about becoming principal of a brand new school is that you are the one who gets to build the culture,” Amick said.

Amick said she believes culture is very important in a school and it helps establish that school’s identity in the community.

One-way Amick is building that culture is by hiring not only the best-qualified teachers, but also those that are genuine in their desire to help students.

“It is all about attitude,” Amick said.

Besides cultivating culture, Amick said she is keen on community involvement.

“We have a great volunteer coordinator who will be helping in the implementation of student-parent teacher organizations,” Amick said.

When Amick was a principal in Colorado she worked with 26 parent committees.

“It is amazing how much a school can accomplish with parental input,” she said.

Amick has a combined 17 years of experience in the education field and is working on a doctorates degree from Northern Arizona University.

“I am looking forward to the coming school year and can’t wait to meet the parents and teachers,” Amick said.

Parents or community members who have questions or would like to get involved may contact her at [email protected].

Photo by Michael K. Rich