Next school year, the assistant principals from Laguna Beach High School and Thurston Middle School will be switching. The Brush & Palette asked assistant principals Lisa Brackez (LBHS) and Nikol King (TMS) how they felt about their new jobs.

Brackez:
The transfer is bitter sweet. I am sad to leave Laguna Beach High as I have been here for three years and built wonderful relationships with the students, parents, staff and community. The good news is I am moving to another magnificent school in our district. I have built relationships with families that will transfer to the middle school because there are siblings of the high school students. This is going to be a new adventure as there will be kids starting Thurston as young as ten years old in the fall which is very different than kids starting when they are fifteen years old like the high school. I was a middle school eighth grade math teacher in the Saddleback Valley USD when I first started my career so honestly, I am excited about getting back to middle school. I love the middle schoolers because they are not the little little guys like elementary school and not quite at the high school age but still excited about school and full of energy. Rather than prepping students for college and career, my focus will be counseling the students to ensure they understand how to behave. LOL Middle school is a fun age and I am excited about the new adventure. My ultimate goal is to be a principal but I am in no rush. Laguna Beach, you are awesome!! Continue working hard in making all of your dreams come true! I’ve truly enjoyed working with everyone and I will see you around since I’ll just be up the hill!!

King:
I love a new adventure, so I am ecstatic to be joining the high school community. I am most looking forward to continuing my support of Thurston’s eighth-graders – who will be incoming freshmen! I will miss many things about TMS! Sixth grade Catalina Science camp was an amazing educational and emotional experience. I will also miss the support staff, teachers, students and community that has molded Thurston into such an amazingly stellar school. The campus is a masterpiece in and of itself. The teachers artistically engage students daily to learn and grow in a supportive, inclusive and rigorous environment. I would step on campus every morning zero period and hear French practiced, the band playing or popular music playing from the field, where the students cheering each other on as they run the mile. The community welcomed me with open arms,and I am so thankful. My job has always been to support students, teachers, families and the community. I have always supported many age groups. A few new components may be added for curriculum and instructional support, (and a new office!) however, I will continue my work as an administrator, just like at TMS! I will be starting my doctorate degree adventure soon. I hope to work closely with curriculum and instruction in the future. I truly love the art of teaching, and curriculum design. I hope to find a role in supporting that art -some day- at a higher administrator level. Throughout my years I have said this phrase to students, (inspired by quotes from C.S. Lewis and Einstein.) Words I live by everyday: “Doing what is easy is not always right, doing what is right is not always easy.” and “Do the right thing, even if no one was watching.”