Jennifer Goethals, the new assistant to the principal at Oakview Middle School, is still working to get to know all of her students, but said the process is easier here than at her former school where there were about 1,000 kids.
Goethals came to the Lake Orion School District from Birney Middle School in Southfield, where she taught health and career pathways classes for 10 years. She said Oakview is about half the size of that school. She replaces former Oakview Assistant Principal Mike Stanek, who retired in June.
“I liked the idea of the smaller middle school and wanted to be closer to home,” she said.
Home for Goethals is Shelby Township, where she lives with husband Edward and their five-year-old daughter Morgan and two-year-old son Jacob. Goethals is originally from St. Clair Shores.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University, and her Master’s Degree from the University of Michigan at Dearborn. She earned an administrative certificate from Oakland University.
“A friend of mine (in Southfield) called to tell me about the job here in Lake Orion,” she said. “I did an internship in administration all last year with Oakland Schools.”
Goethals is adjusting well to Oakview, which said is a beautiful school.
“I am missing teaching a little bit,” she admitted. “This is so much faster paced than the classroom. But the parent support here is just incredible. I also like the size, because I can get to know all the kids.”
Goethals said the kids at Oakview are great, although she thinks they might have been a little nervous about meeting her at first.
“Everything we do is for student learning,” she said. “We want kids to like school, when they do they’ll be successful.”
Goethals called the Oakview staff the “hardest working staff” she’d ever seen.
“There’s always someone stepping up and wanting to help,” she said.
Goethals always knew she wanted to have a career where she could work closely with people, but originally thought elementary education was the way to go.
“I majored in elementary education for about a semester, then I changed because I wanted to work with the older kids,” she said. “I’d seen the mistakes and thought I could do it better.”
Goethals likes working with middle school students because they are still at an impressionable age.
“You can still guide kids,” she said. “And really turn them into some amazing adults.”
When she’s not busy with work, Goethals likes to spend time in the water
“I’m a certified scuba diver,” she said. “I also like to golf.”