For students, an encounter with a school principal usually lasts only a few moments—a quick hello in the hallway or a meeting in the office. But for the faculty themselves, these little moments last throughout the whole day as they work hard with students, teachers and school policies to keep Lakewood High School (LHS) running smoothly.​

Because of the school’s large student population, the school administration is divided. Joy Morgan is the overall principal, and Bridgette Firstenberger, Brent Schremp, and Meredith Wojtkun are house principals (or assistant principals).

While their goals are the same, their daily tasks differ. Morgan’s role focuses on “overseeing the functions of the whole building. So I often say that I do a lot of managing of the adults… (the teachers and the assistant principals) and kind of oversee them. And then the assistant principals are more of the student managers,” Morgan said.

So while Morgan oversees the whole school, the house principals manage a certain number of students, each divided by the letters in their last name, similar to the school’s counseling department. The senior class, however, has its own dedicated house.

The House principals are responsible for many tasks throughout the day. They “work with students to make sure that they are on track with their credits and graduation requirements, making sure that if there are students in need of support…I’ll work through that with their school counselor,” Firstenberger said. Along with that, Firstenberger is the associate principal, so she steps in for Morgan when necessary. Another major role of the House Principals is to “handle discipline with referrals that are sent,” Schremp said.

Morgan, meanwhile, is involved in “every aspect of the building. That includes daily operations, staffing, and things… like building culture and climate,” Firstenberger said. Morgan also “works at the district level [and]… with central office,” Schremp added.

At the district level, she is involved in changing and creating school policies. The ideas for new/changed policies can come from anyone—students, parents, Morgan herself, etc. From there, she collaborates with her supervisor, Director of Teaching and Learning Mr. Austin. “Or sometimes I’ll just go to the superintendent… and then she’s the one who goes to the board, [who]… is her boss,” Morgan said.

It’s all about creating an environment where students and teachers feel comfortable. The principals are the main driving force behind this approachable and effective learning environment. This is done by the principals encouraging teachers and other staff to be friendly and fostering a positive school culture. Even in the principal’s offices, there are comfy chairs and welcoming faces to help try to create a calming environment.

“That’s why I have the chairs. Or if a student comes in and… maybe they celebrate a holiday that I don’t… I will talk to them about it [to say]… help me learn more about you. So a lot of it is conversational, and that helps make everybody feel comfortable and ease the, oh my god, I’m in the principal’s office thoughts,” Firstenberger said.

There are other ways the principals connect with students, too. Whether it’s just being seen in the hallways, saying good morning, or attending after-school events, the administration wants to be accessible. “I try to be visible going to after-school events…just trying to see our students in action, but just being available and accessible and having conversations with students outside of just dealing with discipline or issues that may arise,” Schremp said.

While enforcing rules and administering discipline are requirements of the job, the team focuses on personal growth. “So for me, it’s about being clear that… even though I may be handing out some discipline… It’s a clean slate each day. For me, it’s all about students learning from choices that they make, and that goes hand in hand with growth,” Schremp said.

The principals love doing what they do, helping students and making sure they reach their full potential.

“I guess the most meaningful part is helping students recognize that there is a high school diploma for everybody, no matter what it takes. As we’re standing at the graduation ceremony, and I look up, I see all these students who maybe didn’t have an easy path, but they made it. It gives me goosebumps just to talk about it,” Firstenberger.

Whether through discipline, guidance, or simple interactions and conversations, the Lakewood High School principals play a major role in shaping the school experience for every student.