Students and staff at Waldon Middle School have known for the past nine years about the talents of principal Heidi Kast, and now so will the rest of the state as she was recently named Administrator of the Year by the Michigan Association of Middle School Educators (MAMSE).
‘I started out as a special education teacher (at Waldon), and then I was made assistant principal,? said Kast, who earned her Master’s Degree in leadership from Oakland University and has been Waldon principal for three years.
Kast was roommates with Lake Orion High School associate principal Sarah Manzo while earning her Bachelor’s Degree from Central Michigan University, and said she never dreamed the two would one day be working in the same district.
‘I hooked her up with (her husband) Jim (Manzo),? Kast said. ?(Teaching in Lake Orion) was part of the deal.?
Kast, who grew up in Marlette, Michigan, is now a Lake Orion resident, along with husband and Orion native Kevin and their two daughters: Elli, 5; and Elyse, 2.
Kast did student teaching at LOHS and said she wanted to work in the community because she loved Lake Orion Schools.
‘I think we’re fortunate enough to have a great community and that staff we have,? she said. ‘We’re always striving to do our best for students.?
Kast said she likes that the district is also on the ‘cutting edge? of technological advances, and takes a ‘proactive? approach to education.
‘As a district, we have worked on the middle school program, and we’ve bettered our curriculum and renovated the buildings,? she said.
Kast was a teacher’s assistant in high school, working with special education students, which she said made her want to become a teacher.
‘It’s definitely a different age level (in junior high), but it’s a time when you can make a real impression,? she said. ‘You can help them grow…We have an opportunity to make a great impact.?
Kast sometimes misses her time in the classroom, where she taught language arts, but said she is happy with her position as principal because she has a chance to impact far more students.
‘I love just being able to be around kids everyday, and being able to support the teachers,? she said.
It is that support that, in part, earned her the nomination for the MAMSE award, which she will officially receive at a breakfast on March 11, during MAMSE’s conference.
In her letter nominating Kast, Waldon media specialist and school improvement chairperson Melissa Robertson wrote: ‘Heidi’s never-ending commitment to middle level students, staff and parents has been evident throughout her educational career…Heidi understands the needs of the teachers as well as the students.
‘She believes that for middle level teachers to teach successfully as a team, they need time to work on team lesson plans, develop strategies for dealing with at-risk students, and implement projects to challenge students,? Robertson wrote.
Robertson also went on to say that during the two years that Waldon was going under a major reconstruction, ‘Heidi not only kept spirits high by remaining positive and upbeat throughout the process, but she served as liaison between construction crews and staff.?
Kast said she was surprised to learn she had won the award, and that she shared it with staff, students and parents.
‘I feel very honored, but again, I’m more of a person who doesn’t like the attention,? she said. ‘I love what I do everyday, and that’s enough reward for me.
‘This recognition is not because of what I’m able to do everyday,? said Kast. ‘This is a team…We support each other. This isn’t a recognition just about me.?
Robertson said in her nomination letter that Heidi is always visible to students and staff, in the halls and the classrooms of Waldon, but when she has free time, Kast admits to being something of a shopaholic.
‘I love to shop,? she said. ‘That’s how I relieve stress…and obviously, spending time with my family. I also like to go boating.?
Kast said the support of her husband has been vital to what she’s been able to achieve.
‘I can not do half of what I do (without him),? she said. ‘It’s definitely a family commitment.?