LIVERMORE — When school starts on Thursday, Aug. 29, students at Spruce Mountain Primary School will have a new principal.

The Regional School Unit 73 board of directors hired Darcy Shink to the position on June 27.

The Livermore Falls Advertiser recently reached out to Shink about her new position.

“When I saw this position posted, the first thing that came to mind is I’d be going back to my roots and the place I spent a lot of my childhood since my grandparents and extended family are from this area,” she responded when asked about why she applied for the position. “I’d be giving back to the community that molded me. I went to church right in Livermore Falls, spent many nights at the roller rink, and continue to visit family in Jay. It has been wonderful to see old faces and I look forward to connecting with new families, not just in school but at community events as well. I love attending the students’ sporting events, theater and music performances, parades, festivals, and community celebrations. I will not just be a face at school.”

In her administrative position Shink loves being part of a team making best decisions for students within a school and leading the charge of implementing best practices. “I try to get feedback from staff because they are the heartbeat of a school that keeps it beating and should have a voice in what is best for students,” she stated. “I tend to think outside the box and do my best to support teachers to be the best educators they can be whether it’s providing new learning, focusing on self-care, or taking things off their plate.”

Shink’s least favorite part of being an administrator is putting more things on teachers’ plates knowing more and more educators are getting burnt out and leaving the profession. “The state is struggling to find qualified applicants in all positions,” she noted. “When I know I’m adding something to their plate, I try to find a way to take something else off or provide them time to do the work during their contracted hours, because we know all too well how much they already do outside of them after school or at home when the kids go to bed.”

Shink also dislikes having to give negative consequences. “I only ever want to provide positive consequences and celebrate student successes and good behavior, but realistically kids need to be held accountable for their actions,” she said. “My hope is that parents, teachers, and administrators can work together to help students when they struggle with behaviors in school. Without a team approach, kids will continue to struggle.”

When asked about deciding to move from teaching to the administrative side of education Shink responded, “Education is constantly changing. How we deliver instruction, differentiate, support students behaviorally, etc. I have worked 18 years as a teacher and have seen how it’s changed over the years as the demographics of students have changed. I was the teacher that volunteered to be on all the district or school committees because I wanted to foster positive change in schools. It is rewarding to be able to do that as an administrator.”

Shink said her goal this year is to build relationships with staff, students, and families “because it is crucial that we build a community of support, trust and respect and that we are doing everything we can to put the student’s needs first.”

Michael Glynn, the former principal used some really interesting challenges to encourage students to read [kissing a pig, color run, becoming a giant ice cream sundae].

The LFA asked Shink if she had plans to encourage students to read and if so, her ideas for what those might be. “It’s funny you should ask because I was at a math conference and we were chatting about how I could do a pie to the face on pi day for a math challenge activity,” she said. “I love doing all of these fun things and will be a willing participant to encourage students to achieve goals or even put a smile on students’ faces. There is nothing better than the sounds of laughter and excitement as I walk through the halls. I want school to be a fun learning environment and will incorporate activities that will excite the kids so they continue to enjoy it.”

Challenging behaviors make it very hard for teachers to teach and students to learn, but there is typically an underlying issue causing it to happen, Shink noted. “As a school we need to address trauma, mental health, and implement social emotional learning into our every day,” she stated. “Every minute a teacher’s attention is taken away to address a behavior are minutes that a student or group of students aren’t getting the help they need or a lesson taught to them. I will be holding students accountable for such behaviors, will work with staff and families to try and change behavior, and make sure the safety of everyone in the building comes first.”

Shink said for struggling students interventions will also be put in place that teach strategies to help keep them calm and manage frustrations. “Positive reinforcement will be given to students following the school expectations otherwise known as The Phoenix Promise,” she noted. “What is most important to know is that I treat every day like a new day no matter what struggles may have happened the day before. We all need fresh starts sometimes.”

Shink is a graduate of Dirigo High School in Dixfield and St. Joseph’s College. She obtained a masters in literacy from the University of Maine [Orono] and a masters in educational leadership from University of Maine at Farmington.

Shink taught for 17 years, having been a teacher for kindergarten and grades five through eight. She has been a middle school coordinator, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports [PBIS] coach and assistant principal in a pre-kindergarten through grade eight elementary school.

Shink has a daughter, Chloe and two dogs, Baxter and Remi. She loves thrill seeking activities and said “summer is my happy place with a beach and a good book.”