Ring Welcome Letter
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Hello Cyclone Family!
I am Casey Ring, the new Harlan Community Schools high school principal. My family and I are newly moved to Harlan and are enjoying our summer so far, especially the pool and the golf course! I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a bit about myself and my family and my goals for the high school for the 2022-2023 school year.
I am a small town farm girl, born and raised in Underwood, Iowa. My parents instilled a love of life, humor, and hard work into me and my 4 siblings. My husband, Jay, and I have 3 children of our own. Our oldest son, Layton, will be in 8th grade at HCMS. He enjoys band and eSports along with bicycling and swimming. Our daughter, Austyn, will be a 6th grader at HCMS as well. Her interests are in athletics (basketball, volleyball, soccer), music, and all things Michael Jordan and NBA. Our youngest son, Kelby, will be a 3rd grader. He is looking forward to starting football and soccer and also enjoys swimming and keeping up with his older siblings. They are all having fun meeting kids in our new neighborhood and at the pool and are looking forward to starting school in the fall.
Family is very important to me. Along with my own kids, I have 17 nieces and nephews and one great nephew. If you catch me, you’ll probably hear me brag about all the great and diverse things these kids are doing with their lives. They are the reason I am so passionate about education; my family and yours deserve the very best out there. I believe my leadership will contribute to the strong educational foundation HCSD provides its students.
My professional background has created a foundation of knowledge and experience in all aspects of school as well. I began as an English teacher at Tri-Center (Neola) for 11th and 12th grade students for 12 years. I then became an instructional coach and curriculum director for Tri-Center and Riverside (Oakland). During my time at Tri-Center, I also coached volleyball, basketball, speech, and directed the school play.
I became a PK-12 principal at West Harrison (Mondamin) in 2019. While there, I led the school through many changes, leading teachers to improve instruction through professional development and curriculum alignment. I added new programs as well, including an intervention system to catch struggling students and a social-emotional learning time for all students. West Harrison is a wonderful school, full of wonderful people.
I am looking forward to beginning at HCHS this fall. HCHS has a long-standing tradition of excellence and I cannot wait to become a part of it. My goals for the 2022-2023 school year are to get to know the students, staff, and community, work to strengthen the quality of instruction and curriculum with the teachers, and work toward an improved intervention system for students. This will all be as part of a team; it is through teamwork and collaboration that lasting change can happen.
My family and I are also looking forward to being part of the supportive community of the Harlan Community Schools. We have had such a warm welcome already! Thank you!
