Beth Travis is the new principal at East Kelloggsville Elementary School. SNN gets to know her in this edition of Meet Your Principal.
Other positions you have held in education: I am starting my 20th year at Kelloggsville Public Schools. I have been a math, reading and language arts teacher for grades 6, 7 and 8. As an administrator, I’ve held the positions of dean of students and assistant principal at Kelloggsville Middle School.
How about jobs outside education? In college I was a sign-language interpreter, a nanny and a waitress.
Family: I have two sons. Jacob is in ninth-grade at East Kentwood High school, and Michael is in seventh-grade at Pinewood Middle School.
Hobbies/Interests/Little-known talent: I enjoy boating, reading, learning different languages, volunteering, traveling, being outdoors and watching my boys play sports.
What kind of kid were you in elementary school? I went to a Catholic school in Europe for my elementary years. I always received high marks on my reports cards and I was quite talkative and very social. We enjoyed traveling and spending time learning as much European culture and history as possible.
The biggest lesson you have learned from students is… Everyday is a new day. It always amazes me how resilient and loving our students are. Each day they enter the playground before school with a smile, and are determined to do their very best!
If I could go back to school I would … go back to ninth grade because of all of the opportunities that high school provides and the promise of a positive future!
If you walked into your new school building to theme music every day, what would the song be? This is an easy question, as our school secretary plays it for me a few times a week: “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake.
