STE. GENEVIEVE – “We are incredibly excited to announce that Ste. Genevieve Middle School Assistant Principal Mrs. Kristen Huffman has been recognized as the 2023 Southeast Missouri Assistant Principal of the Year!” a Ste. Genevieve County School District R-2 official said Friday, in making the announcement.
“This award is bestowed by MoASSP, the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals,” the official continued.
The official added that Mrs. Huffman wasn’t expecting to see her family when she entered the school library — her parents and daughters visited the school to be present when she was surprised with the recognition! MoASSP Board member and SGHS Principal Dr. John Boyd, Jr. presented Mrs. Huffman with her award.
Also present were SGMS Principal Dr. Scott Mercer, counselors Ed Draper and Amy Meyer, Superintendent Dr. Julie Flieg, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Paul Taylor, and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lance McClard, who all shared their congratulations.
Mrs. Huffman has been in public education for a total of 17 years, and she has spent the last 12 years as a member of the SG R-II dragon family.
She first took a counseling position at Bloomsdale Elementary, where she spent six years before spending one year as the 12th grade counselor for Ste. Genevieve High School. She then took on the position of Assistant Principal at SGMS, where she has spent the last five years.
“Over the last five years, Mrs. Huffman has made a positive impact on education and advocacy for students at Ste. Genevieve Middle School. She was awarded this recognition not only for the strong partnerships she builds with parents and community stakeholders, but also for her innovative strategies in both discipline and counseling.”
Recently, Mrs. Huffman coordinated a massive revamp of the SGMS climate and culture mindset, and she did so through adapting a new student recognition construct and refreshing traditional strategies with new ideas that fit more with today’s best practices.
Her collaboration with teachers throughout this process was crucial, as she took care to ensure that everyone had ongoing opportunities to contribute to the changes.
“Mrs. Huffman’s thoughtfulness and innovation throughout the process have demonstrated creativity and imagination in bringing about positive change,” SGMS Principal Dr. Mercer said. “Throughout her career at SGMS, she has shown great forethought and has consistently demonstrated a skillful ability to anticipate emerging problems. Better yet, she can be reliably counted upon to act effectively to resolve them. Using what seems to be an infinite toolset, she ensures the school climate is positive and reflects high staff and student morale by finding unique and meaningful ways to accentuate the bright moments at SGMS. Her daily presence is absolutely essential to the overall efficiency and climate of our building.”