Licking Elementary welcomes new principal

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Julianna Thrasher

By Julianna Thrasher

I was raised in a small town about an hour away: Conway, Mo. After high school, I attended and graduated from Ozarks Technical Community College; I continued to finish my Bachelor’s degree at Central Methodist University. My student teaching experience was in Lebanon, Mo., in a first grade classroom. Upon graduating from Central Methodist University, I was married and moved to Nevada, Mo., where I taught second grade for several years. During that time, I decided to continue my education at William Woods University and graduated with a Master’s degree in Elementary Building Level Leadership.

While we are grateful for our time in Nevada, we missed being close to home and spending time with our families. My parents live in Conway, and my grandmother and brother live in Lebanon. My brother is a K-9 Deputy handler for the Laclede County Sheriff’s Department. My husband, Garrett, is from Atlanta, Mo. We enjoy visiting and spending time with our seven nieces and nephews.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to be joining Licking Elementary at this exciting time. There are some awesome initiatives and programs being implemented this year. All staff will be receiving BIST training for behavioral support. Ms. Case is doing an amazing STEM program for some of our older grade levels. Mrs. Derrickson has made some changes in the library to help our early readers navigate book choices. Grade levels three through six will have one-to-one technology to enhance our curriculum and offer experiences that otherwise may not be available. Mrs. Haneline has moved to the role of instructional coach, which will provide an excellent resource for our educators. That is just a glimpse of the wonderful things that are happening in Licking Elementary.