Jessica Hanks will join Fort Zumwalt School District as the Principal at Emge Elementary. Hanks, who comes to Fort Zumwalt from the Wentzville School District, has had the chance to meet with staff and is looking forward to getting to know them, their students, and the Emge community better. “My biggest goal is to begin building positive relationships with students, staff and community members,” she says. “I am eager to learn more about Emge, their traditions and how I can best support them through this transition.”
Hanks has served as the building principal at Wentzville Heritage Intermediate for the past year. Before that, she served as an assistant principal for two years and taught fifth grade for nine years. She is excited about joining Fort Zumwalt and, more specifically, Emge.
“I am extremely honored and excited to join the Fort Zumwalt School District and to begin this new role at Emge Elementary,” she says. “I am eager to meet the students, staff and community members and to begin forming partnerships that center on building a positive school climate and academic excellence and maximizing the potential of every student.”
When she’s not at school, Hanks spends as much time outdoors as she can with her family. “Preferably, near the water,” she says. “It's always important to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others. By keeping yourself mentally sharp you can pass that on to students and help them do the same.”
Making time to connect and rejuvenate is a big part of The Leader In Me’s 7 Habits for Happy Kids. It is, in fact, Habit 7. Emge started the Leader In Me journey last year. Hanks is ready to embrace the power of common language, setting goals and building skills to help all students meet their individual goals.
“When I talk with students about taking care of themselves, I tell them, ‘It can help you to build a positive mindset for your day’” Hanks says. “With older students, I can tell them, ‘It helps you eliminate stress.’ or ‘It helps you to ease your worries.’ When you spend time doing the things you love, it helps you get centered so you can prioritize better and focus on your work, in the classroom or when doing other activities outside of your school day.”