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Changes are happening throughout the Fort Osage School District. Dr. Mark Enderle, Superintendent of Schools, recently announced that Robert Shepherd will be taking on the role of principal at Osage Trail Middle School. The Buckner Clarion spoke one-on-one with Shepherd about what this opportunity means to him and what he envisions for the middle school. Shepherd has been the assistant principal at Osage Trail Middle School since August 2011. Prior to coming to Fort Osage, Shepherd served as the 7th through 12th grade school administrator at Drexel High School in the Drexel R-IV school district. Shepherd has also worked as a teacher at Bridger Middle School in Independence. When asked what this opportunity means to him, Shepherd said, "It's very exciting! I have the opportunity to lead 800 kids and over 100 staff members, making an impact in both the classroom and in the community." Shepherd's vision for the school relies heavily on culture and climate survey data from students and parents. "We have a 'safe school' survey we look at and we observe trends to see if there are any notable ones with the students. Then, we break it down more toward what the individual students' needs are," Shepherd said. Most recent data showed that the area students struggle with most is transitioning. Shepherd noted that it's not easy for students to transition from one school to the next. His main focus is addressing the tough question: What can we do to help our students transfer smoothly? Shepherd is looking to his staff and community members to aid in that transitioning phase that challenges district students. "We are going to make more of a push to get community involvement," he said. Shepherd acknowledges that it's the community who builds the kids up academically and supports their every achievement. "We really want to get Osage Trail Middle School out in the community more and create more involvement," he said. Because his children attend the Fort Osage School District, Shepherd feels that he has a vested interest in improving and uplifting the school system and community. He said that making himself visible at as many school functions as possible is what he does to show his dedication. Frequenting the plays and musicals, as well as cheering the athletes on at sporting events, are just a few ways Shepherd shows his support. During his tenure as assistant principal, Shepherd displayed his leadership ability by creating and implementing a slew of new programs. These programs are heavily focused on building leadership, developing teaching skills and generating effective communication. The most recent program Shepherd tackled is called PD-Craft, aimed at developing the professional growth of teachers. "It's based off of a gamification (or game play) concept of learning," he said. "The teachers accomplish a certain task and they get rewarded." For example, Shepherd goes to Quick Trip and gets the teachers their favorite candy bars when they've reached a goal. He emphasized how crucial it is to reward every achievement when helping teachers improve. Shepherd will present this system nationally in the summer. Besides PD-Craft, Shepherd's efforts also include redesigning the school's in-school suspension program. Originally, the program was strictly a punishment process for kids. Now, Shepherd assures that it's primarily developmental. "We developed lessons on policies, that comes in a four to five page packet, which helps students learn how their behavior affects others." Creating a safe environment for all students is what Shepherd said the new developmental program aims to achieve. Next summer, Shepherd hopes to add an outdoor leadership experience, currently being finalized, for staff members. Based off of the state leadership academy model, Shepherd and his staff members will go out and explore nature for several days and actively engage in leadership and team-building activities. Shepherd hopes that these team activities will allow for a better flow of feedback between all staff members. He believes that active feedback and communication will not only help the staff members, students and community members grow, but it will also help himself improve. Shepherd stresses that effective feedback must consistently cycle between the students, teachers and himself to ensure that nothing is misunderstood. Bridging the communication gap is what Shepherd said will help the school conquer any conflict. "Nine times out of 10, conflicts can be fixed right off the bat if we are communicating well." Communication aside, Shepherd has many hopes when it comes to highlighting leadership among the teachers at Osage Trail Middle School. "I like to try to promote more leaders in our building. Any opportunity to put a teacher in a leadership position, I take. I've got to make sure they're going to be successful; I don't want them to fail," he said. In the upcoming school year, Shepherd knows there are several little things that need to be improved within the school. However, challenges are not something Shepherd is afraid of. "You have challenges every day, but luckily we have a really good staff here," he said. Support is something Shepherd knows won't run low as he transitions into his new role. "We have a good leadership team here that I know will be supportive of me. Any challenge that comes our way, we can conquer." At the end of the day, Shepherd says he's only concerned with what's best for the students. "Whatever is best for the kids, that's what we're going to do." New Principal Shepherd to Assume the Lead at Osage Trail Incoming Osage Trail Principal, Robert Shepherd By Morgan Nail

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