THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
Heather Garcia
Inderkum students and their families will have a chance to meet the high school’s newest leader during a meet-and-greet mixer scheduled for Monday.
Assistant Superintendent Heather Garcia and the school’s administrative team will be on hand 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on August 5 in the Atrium to kick off the 2013-14 school year.
Information will be available about educational programs, student activities and mandatory orientation set for August 5-9, according to an invitation to the event.
Garcia was hired to lead Inderkum as a principal would, but will also support efforts to implement new International Baccalaureate programs at the high school as well as H. Allen Hight Elementary and Natomas Middle schools in Natomas. All three are IB candidate schools.
“Mrs. Garcia’s primary focus in her first year will be to continue, strengthen and add to the strong progress Inderkum has made in the past few years while adding her leadership talents to the IB continuum,” Natomas Unified School District Superintendent Chris Evans said in a telephone message to Inderkum families.
Garcia comes to Inderkum High School from the Fresno Unified School District where she was principal at Tenaya Middle School, but she is no stranger to Natomas.
From 2007 to 2010, Garcia – previously known as Heather Golway – worked as assistant principal at Natomas High School. From 2000 to 2003 she held positions as Discovery High principal, Natomas High vice principal and Director of Alternative Education for the Natomas Unified School District.
Before that Garcia was a teacher at Roosevelt High School in Fresno from 1996 to 2000. She has a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Administration from California State University, Fresno.
Garcia was hired June 21 to replace George Tapanes, whose resignation was announced to Inderkum families on June 7.
Inderkum students said they had mixed feelings about Tapanes’ departure.
“I think it’s sad that the district got rid of one of the best principals that school has ever had,” said senior Trevor Deal, 17.
But senior Meghan Stewart, 16, said she thought having a new principal it would be “cool.”
“The school needs a bit of improvement anyways, so hopefully this new principal can provide that for us,” Stewart said.
Added senior Mark Bodnar, “As long as there won’t be any dramatic changes, I will not let it affect my senior year.”
Tapanes was hired as Inderkum principal in June 2010; his resignation is effective Dec. 31, 2013, according to personnel items approved by the school district’s board of trustees at its June 25 meeting.
Inderkum High School is located at 2500 New Market Drive.
Inderkum High interns Valentina Carrillo and Jaskaran Gill contributed to this report.
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