With a career in education spanning close to 4 decades right here in Orange County Public Schools, Principal Laura Beusse has been an innovative community builder every step of the way.
We asked her what her plans are for creating a sense of community among students and families here in Horizon West and she shared her secret for how she builds lasting relationships with each member of her school community.
I’ve been an educator for 38 years and before that I was an OCPS student from kindergarten through high school! I started out as an English teacher and loved being in the classroom with kids. My first year as a teacher was in 1982. I’m one of the rare few who has spent all my life right here in Orange County!
In the 90’s when technology was being introduced to the classroom, there was an opportunity to help bring it to fruition as a network administrator. I found that I had a knack for technology and without the benefit of the digital resources today, my job was to support other teachers through the use of the technology that was emerging. It was really exciting to be at the forefront of this evolution in our schools! During that time I was exposed to high school administration- the systems, procedures, and I became more and more intrigued. I decided to go ahead and get my credentials necessary to move into that role and began working in administration in 2005.
I’m going to encourage this new student community by letting them know, unequivocally, that my priority is them. We are working hard to lay a foundation where they feel like they have a voice, a safe place to learn, grow and explore. That’s what I’m committed to. Secondly, as far as influence is concerned, I’m a big believer in being connected and involved. That is something that I’m going to ask of myself, our students, our parents and our community. My hope is that we build this future together by being connected. Horizon West is an emerging community and the opportunity to create this together is something I think we are all called to do.
My hope and my goal is that the transition to a new school is a smooth one. Whether students are coming from home, Bridgewater Middle School or Windermere High School, I am sensitive and aware of what we’ve all been through with the pandemic and the stress these students have already experienced. I plan to have extra supports in place for students as they transition to a new school. The second thing I am sensitive to is that these students have been together throughout their school careers and I’m respectful of the relationships and the friendships that they have. I’m going to do everything I can to foster a healthy collaboration. We will continue to build on the successes of Bridgewater Middle School and Windermere High School so students can have a smooth and seamless transition into a place they can call their own.
Great question! That is my number one priority! Building a climate and a culture is something that takes time. We have to have some shared experiences for that sense of community to develop so I’d love to share with you the 7 tenants, or principles, that I like to employ in my leadership. I lovingly call them the 7 C’s!
You can expect consistent and timely communication from everyone on our team throughout this process and at all levels.
We want to bring different perspectives into the conversation to create processes and build this new school community together.
If we collaborate, then you will find that consistency exists in all areas of the school from the top down.
We want every student to find their fit. Be it through clubs, groups, sports or theater, we want them to connect with each other.
We employ this principle to ensure that the students are always the priority. Without them, we do not exist.
As a new school, it’s important that we celebrate all of our successes along the way as we meet goals and honor growth.
Our number one message is simple. You belong here. We want every student to feel like they are part of this school community.
As we move closer to the 2021, school year, the question weighing on everyone’s mind is zoning. Who will be attending the new school? A recent Orange County School Board meeting finalized the conversations regarding zoning and established the official school zone.
Many considerations went into the zoning process and Orange County has been committed to ensuring resident input every step of the way. The process includes community meetings, as well as research and development of options.
You can review the zoning process on Orange County Public School’s website.
BIG NEWS! On December 8th, Horizon High School, home of the Hawks was announced as the official name and mascot. The school colors will be purple, orange and white.
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