By Nance Beston, Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, Wash. The Tribune Content Agency

WARDEN - Annie Hindman has stepped into the role of principal at Warden Middle School, bringing experience in both education and juvenile justice. Raised on a farm in between Moses Lake and Warden, Hindman credits much of her dedication to education to her mother, who taught kindergarten and first grade for 16 years at Warden Elementary.

"Warden schools were a second home to me," Hindman said.

Hindman graduated from Moses Lake High School and has two children in the Moses Lake School District, a middle schooler and a high schooler. Hindman said she spends as much of her free time as she can with her children. She is a 4-H sheep leader and helps coach basketball for her youngest daughter.

Hindman and her partner live in between Moses Lake and Warden, like she did growing up, and now they too have their own little farm. Hindman said she still helps her parents as well.

Background

After receiving a criminal justice degree, Hindman spent eight years working in the juvenile justice system, which she describes as a pivotal experience. Hindman said while working in the system right after she graduated from college, she was the first one to come upon a prison escape.

She was working in security and discovered sheets hanging in the razor wire covered in blood. She called in the incident and the prison realized two juveniles had escaped. The juveniles were found not long after.

"Research shows that your education directly relates to whether you're going to spend time in jail or not," Hindman said. "Ultimately I was drawn to being on the other side and trying to prevent kids from ending up in the justice system."

Despite a vow not to become a teacher like her mother, she found her way into school counseling, earning a master's degree and eventually spending 13 years in that role in various locations including schools in Hermiston, Oregon and Moses Lake.

There were challenges though. Transitioning from the juvenile justice field to education required a significant adjustment.

"I went from dealing with those high-risk offenders to becoming an elementary counselor," Hindman said. "I had to do a whole brain shift; it took me a year to retrain my language. Like how you talk to a first grader is much different than how you talk to an 18-year-old offender. The adjustment there was really hard, but what I found is that I was at my best when I was surrounded by kids and so and I loved it. I loved my job."

Hindman said she thrived as an elementary counselor in Oregon and then at Moses Lake High School - where she helped create the open doors program for the MLSD - before becoming a middle school principal for the first time this semester.

"Working with somebody new is always very scary, but she is doing wonderful," Warden High School Principal Katie Phipps said. "It takes a very tough person to be a middle school principal and she's thriving. She's doing great."

Warden Middle School and High School share a building and some staff because of the size of the district, so the two principals collaborate frequently, they said.

"I've always said I can't do this job without a partner and the last partner I had here was wonderful, and it was hard when he left and so to have somebody come in and be able to fill those shoes, she's doing great," Phipps said.

Goals

Hindman's objectives for Warden Middle School revolve around fostering a supportive and positive academic environment.

"What I'd like to see is that we have kids here that are prepared for high school and that we are creating a positive, nurturing learning environment," Hindman said. "If you have a space where kids can come in and feel safe, feel comfortable, feel cared for, their academics will show it, right?"

She said she firmly believes a supportive atmosphere directly correlates with student success. Hindman said she feels that middle school is sometimes dismissed by students, but it's important.

"It absolutely counts, and it does matter because all the practices and the things that they're doing now are just preparing them to be successful high school students, which then prepare them to be successful after high school," she said.

One of her initiatives in her first semester is the implementation of a weekly newsletter aimed at increasing parent engagement.

"I'm an over communicator sometimes because I love to keep parents in the loop about what's happening at school," Hindman said.

The newsletter includes highlights of school activities, athletic events and behavior expectations while providing a platform for parents to give their feedback. Feedback from parents has been overwhelmingly positive, with many appreciating the consistent communication.

Hindman also aims to enhance academic support for students, especially notable due to the absence of an after-school program this year.

"We need to explore how we can continue to offer support beyond the regular school hours," she said. "It's all about adapting to the needs of our students."

Motivations

The motivations driving Hindman in her new role stem from her background in counseling and a desire to positively impact students.

"I'm a relationship person," Hindman said. "I'm a counselor. I will always be a counselor. I just now have other duties as assigned and that is the principal part."

Through her experience, she has seen firsthand how connections between students and adults can significantly affect educational outcomes.

"If my influence can come in and create an environment where kids feel at least one positive relationship with one adult at their school," Hindman said. "Then hopefully we can hang on to them, because research shows that if they have at least one adult person that they feel connected to and comfortable with, that it improves their academic success exponentially."

Hindman said there have been challenges especially regarding how students treat one another specifically regarding technology. However, she is looking into options to mitigate those negative interactions.

"I didn't have phones when I was growing up in school. We didn't have social media. One of the things was if you had an issue with somebody, you had to say it to their face or in a note that you bunched up and it took time. Then when you left school, unless they were calling you on your home phone, it stopped as soon as you left school. But our kids don't have that luxury anymore, and the social issues that are happening today continue, and they happen 24/7 and so they don't get a break. So, what my goal is to eventually not have phones from bell to bell."

Hindman also focused on teamwork and collaboration among staff.

"The duties of a principal and of an (administration) team in a small school community is that everybody wears many hats and that has been a change and adjustment for me too. But we have such a really strong team here, and so they have made the transition good, and they keep encouraging me."

Hindman said she has started to build good relationships with a lot of the teachers, and she was fortunate enough to know a handful of them from when her mom worked within the district.

"We're excited for the energy that she brings to our building and her excitement for things we can accomplish this year and just starting new things in the building," Warden Middle School Social Studies teacher Beky Erickson said. "She really just enjoys the kids and it's fun to have her here."

As Hindman settles into her role, she said she remains optimistic about the journey ahead.

"Every day presents new challenges, but it also offers countless opportunities to grow and learn," she said.