By Mary Owen
Federal stimulus funds have allowed two North Santiam School District administrators to move up in district ranks.
Principal Charlotte Klampe leaves Stayton High School in the hands of former assistant principal Richard Abdou, while she serves as the district’s new director of assessment and career-related learning.
Klampe leaves SHS after 13 years of changing the school’s cultural environment, improving attendance and raising student interest. During her tenure, she introduced college credit and advanced placement courses and added Academic Guide Groups (Advisory) periods to provide mentoring for all students.
“The LINK program is a mentoring program for incoming ninth graders that has provided a wonderful way for each student to become a part of the Stayton High community,” Klampe said. “The more inclusive student government program has been able to train and empower the non-traditional student leaders at SHS.”
Klampe credits her success to Stayton High’s “excellent teachers, administrators and staff” and her recruitment of principals Andy Gardner, Stayton Elementary and Middle schools; and Jamie McCarty, Sublimity School; Mike Proctor, assistant principal at SHS; and John Kendall, the district library media coordinator; to mentor to the administrative ranks.
In her new role, Klampe will focus on assessing the district’s K-12 school system and certifying additional vocational teachers to increase NSSD’s federal funding opportunities.
Abdou, assistant principal and director of alternative education since August 2008, now takes over as principal.
“He brings a wealth of experience and expertise that will benefit the school,” Klampe said. “Each person brings their own strengths and priorities to the principalship. My hope is that with the help of the wonderful student body, the extensive expertise of the SHS staff, and the community at large, that he will be able to continue the successful programs, review those that need attention and bring new things to the students of SHS.”
Abdou, who began his career in El Paso, Texas, as a health teacher and athletic trainer in 1986, is excited to continue Klampe’s efforts to improve Stayton High.
“My goal is to make Stayton the best high school that it can be,” said Abdou, who previously was assistant principal at McKay High School in Salem. “We have a wonderful staff and great kids. I’m glad to help them become successful.”
In the assistant principal’s role, Abdou revamped and integrated Stayton High’s alternative education program and started a Saturday School tutoring program for students who need extra homework help.
“We want to create as many opportunities for kids that we can create,” Abdou said. “We want to identify kids who haven’t developed positive relationships with numerous adults and help them to succeed.”
Abdou believes SHS has done a good job in serving students with high abilities or special challenges, and now needs to focus on those who fall somewhere in between.
“Kids learn differently and it’s a matter of finding the ways students learn best,” Abdou said. “We just need to focus on helping them all to become successful.”
Abdou lives in Stayton with his wife, Molly. The couple has two children, Ashley, 20, a Stayton High graduate, and Nicklaus, 17, a junior at SHS.
