Meet our Admin Team

Principal: Brady Howden

All students future ready!

 

Dear Parents and Students:

 

Welcome to Christa McAuliffe Elementary School!

 

We consider it a great privilege to work with your children and look forward to fostering a fun, nurturing, and challenging learning environment for them at McAuliffe. The staff at McAuliffe places an emphasis on collaborating with each other so that students are receiving the best instruction possible. We believe that all students have the ability to succeed, both academically and personally, and look forward to working with your child to accomplish this goal.

 

Parental involvement is a key component to the success of students at McAuliffe. We welcome and encourage parent volunteers and hope that you will take advantage of the many opportunities available to you. These opportunities include attending/volunteering at PSTA events, working in classrooms, chaperoning field trips, and more. Please contact your child’s teacher for ways to become involved in the classroom. You can find information about how to be involved with our PTSA on their website www.mcauliffeptsa.org.

 

We are excited to continue our “Reach for the Stars” program at McAuliffe. This program promotes a positive school culture through positive reinforcement and an incentive program for students. Students are encouraged to “Be Safe and Responsible”, “Be Kind and Respectful”, and “Be Your Best”. Our Reach for the Stars program is aligned with the life skills as defined on the LWSD school report card and is supported with our school discipline policy.

 

Our staff is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students and families. We celebrate our students' diversity and prioritize the physical and emotional safety of everyone. McAuliffe’s diversity is strength of our school and something we celebrate as a community.

 

We ask that you take a moment to read through the parent-student handbook as a family. It contains important information that will help you and your child have a successful year. I also encourage you to explore our school website as it also includes helpful information about our school and district.

 

I am honored to begin my 15th year as the principal of Christa McAuliffe Elementary. I am grateful to work with such talented educators, supportive parents, and amazing students. I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that McAuliffe Elementary is a wonderful place for children to learn and develop academically and socially.

 

Thank you for entrusting us with your children. We are grateful for your support and consider it a privilege to teach your children each day.

 

Here’s to another great year at McAuliffe!

 

Sincerely,

 

Brady Howden

Principal

Christa McAuliffe Elementary School

Associate Principal: Joelle Wright

 

I am thrilled to be the Associate Principal at Christa McAuliffe Elementary. McAuliffe Elementary is a special school community with a positive culture that embraces all the students and families that we serve. Prior to joining the McAuliffe staff, I spent 20 years working in the Granite Falls School District. I taught for fourteen years at various elementary grade levels before leaving the classroom and becoming a Teacher on Special Assignment (T.O.S.A.) for two years. I then served as an administrator of a K-12 Virtual Academy for one year and an elementary Assistant Principal for four years in Granite Falls. Working with students is my passion, and my heart is to do all that I can to serve our students so that they can successfully learn and grow as individuals. Building positive relationships with our staff members, our students, our families, and our broader school community is a vital role of an administrator and an integral part of who I am.

In addition to my work as an Associate Principal, I am also a mother of two daughters—one in high school and one in college. I am a former foster parent and adopted my two daughters eleven years ago. I have lived in the Pacific Northwest all of my life and I enjoy traveling and experiencing the world whenever I can. My favorite place I have ever traveled to is South Africa. I enjoy reading, paddleboarding, photography, board games, road trips, farmers markets, and spending time with family and friends. The beach is my happy place!

I look forward to working with each of you and continuing the great work that is happening at McAuliffe Elementary.