Halsey said he likes what he has seen about Tipp City and its school district so far.
“It is clear the people care about the community and want their schools to be successful,” he said, adding he was attracted to the community by its “small town and friendly atmosphere.”
As principal, Halsey works with district and building staff members to evaluate and improve instructional practices being used in classrooms.
“Our goal is to get every kid to think critically and deeply every day and to prepare them for whatever their future holds, whether it is a career, a college or military enlistment,” he said.
His favorite part of the school day is being in the classroom observing learning taking place, Halsey said. “Watching teachers work with kids to wrestle through the content is where I see the value in everything we do. There is nothing better than watching a student go from not understanding something to mastering the concept,” he said.
Halsey attended Miami (Ohio) University for his undergraduate education, Xavier University for graduate school and the University of Dayton for his administrative licensure.
He and wife, Maggie, have three daughters, June, Rose and Amy.
As he pursued his career, a number of adults helped him grow as an individual including those who were Young Life leaders, teachers, friends and co-workers who Halsey said, “have pushed me to learn and improve.”
He pointed to a veteran administrator, Tom Misenko, who he said demonstrated to him that school is about more than just the typical subjects. “We can teach kids to be good students and good people,” he said. “I had not even considered administration (as a career) until Tom. He taught me that when kids have people in their lives that set high expectations, both academically and ethically and help them meet those standards, they can live productive and happy adult lives.”
Other new principals in the district this school year include Middle School Assistant Principal Andrew Gerken and Tippecanoe High School Principal Leah Vlahos.
The board of education also hired a new superintendent for this school year. Aaron Moran joined the district in summer 2023.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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