Kathleen Veenstra Pool
Summary
A passionate, self-motivated, and outcome-driven educational leader who engenders a love of lifelong learning and curiosity in student and adult learners. Continual commitment to student success and faculty support and collaboration to achieve maximum student growth. Dedicated to the work of equity, inclusion, and belonging for students, staff, school, and community.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Substitute Administrator/Principal Intern
Forest Hills Public Schools
09.2022 - Current
- Coordinate and facilitate staff professional development, implement celebration of students, perform classroom evaluations to assess teacher strategies and effectiveness and partner with staff to support growth (as part of coursework), supervise bus transportation, lunch, and recess, analyze and solve multi-faceted issues regarding student behavior, assist teachers in behavioral/strategic plans, successfully partner with guardians regarding behavioral issues, mentor newly hired behavioral support aide, facilitate Praise Walks, lead prospective parent tours, assist long term substitutes, respond to medical and other student emergencies, cultivate positive relationships between students, staff, and families, execute fire and lockdown drills, make daily announcements (Spanish), lead restorative conversations, trained in CPI and Restorative Practices.
- Future projects include the alignment of the Ada Vista Staff Handbook to ensure compliance with district, state, and federal policies and regulations, participation in data dives, and planning for opening the 2023-2024 school year.
Music Teacher
Ada Vista Elementary, Forest Hills Public Schools
08.2002 - Current
- Teach General Music to 500 students in grades K-4, weekly
- Teach Music multilingually (primarily English/Spanish)
- Drive student learning by establishing clear classroom plans and group objectives, as well as actionable strategies to achieve each goal.
- Help students develop self-esteem and life skills by fostering healthy conflict-resolution, critical thinking, and communication.
- Advise families of student progress by communicating student's achievements and developing methods for improvement.
- Integrate technology and multimedia tools into lessons to enhance student learning.
- Build positive relationships with parents to involve families in educational process.
- Teach lessons encompassing skill-building activities in speaking, writing, reading and listening.
- Provide regular feedback to students on progress and assigned grades based on performance.
- Create supportive, inclusive, positive learning environments, to support student growth and learning.
- Adapt lessons to differentiate instruction and meet students' diverse learning needs and abilities.
- Determine student learning progress and comprehension with routine and varied assessments.
Student Ambassador/Staff/Parent Group Coordinator
Forest Hills Public Schools
09.2021 - Current
- Lead Ada Vista GLI Student Ambassador Group, Created, coordinated, and implemented MLK Luminary Peace Walk, Researched, wrote, and was awarded grant money for diverse, multilingual reading materials, Surveyed students regarding their feelings of belonging - analyzed data, generated reports, detailed findings, and made recommendations for improving school climate, including recommendations made by Ada Vista Student Ambassadors
- Provide teachers with age-appropriate materials for Black History Month, Latins History Month, Asian and Pacific Islander Month, etc (Spanish and English)
- Create, organize, and produce Luminary Peace Walk in honor of the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
- Lead Global Champions Staff/Guardian Group, meeting team quarterly to generate and process ideas, plan implementation.
- District Equity Team Member - Trained in Cultural IQ, Belonging, Equity, Unconscious Bias
Adjunct Professor
Calvin University
01.2017 - 03.2020
- Taught aspiring elementary and secondary educators a state-required course. Developed lesson plans and research assignments to help students meet key learning objectives and goals.
- Managed student performance using automated reporting system, leveraging data to identify student learning needs and create action plans to overcome learning deficiencies.
- Worked cooperatively with other members of faculty and staff to contribute to overall institutional effectiveness.
- Identified academic strengths and obstacles and developed instructional techniques to accommodate different learning styles.
- Encouraged class discussions by building discussions into lessons, actively soliciting input, asking open-ended questions and using techniques to track student participation.
- Demonstrated superb organization skills in classroom and with student records with specific attention to school policies for documentation.
- Organized time, space and resources to balance advanced instruction, challenging workloads and stringent deadlines.
- Developed creative and effective teaching methods for course content to capture students attention.
- Built relationships with students, mentoring on personal, professional and academic goals while providing coaching on effective study habits.
- Served as visiting lecturer
- Represented the university at professional conferences
Vocal Director - High School Musicals
Forest Hills Public Schools
01.2019 - 03.2020
- Grades 9-12, 3-6 ,
- Directed groups (Grades 9-12 and 3-6) at rehearsals and performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
- Scheduled and coordinated auditions to select performers for musical presentations.
- Studied scores to learn music in detail and develop interpretations.
- Collaborated with performers and producers to determine and achieve desired sound for production and timing.
- Planned and scheduled rehearsals and performances and arranged details such as locations, accompanists and instrumentalists.
- Recruited talent inter-district, working with Forest Hills Central High School and district elementary schools
- Worked with individual high school students to develop musical and acting technique for solos, duets, character
- Trained elementary students in ensemble singing and stage protocol.
- Rehearsed and conducted high school company on ensemble pieces (Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
Music Teacher
Walker Charter Academy, National Heritage Academies
08.1998 - 01.2000
- Taught General Music grades K-5, Choir grades 6-8
- Served as Child Study Team (CST) Member and CST Secretary
- Mentored struggling students with individualized approach to enhance learning.
- Scheduled shows and performances in accordance with school calendar.
- Mentored students of different ages and backgrounds in music theory, composition and performance.
- Encouraged social interaction and collaboration among students to foster camaraderie and teamwork.
- Assessed student performance and provided constructive feedback to guide progress.
- Provided individualized instruction to provide students with equal learning opportunities.
- Held afterschool meetings and rehearsals in preparation for shows.
- Familiarized students with basic concepts of music such as notes, tempo, symphony, beats, compositions, and chords.
High School Choir Director/Elementary Music Teacher
Newaygo Public Schools
08.1993 - 08.1997
- Organized and led recruiting initiatives to maximize High School program outreach. Nearly quadrupled personnel who participated in high school choir in 2 years.
- Selected and arranged music for holiday performances and special events.
- Attended students' concerts, sporting events and performances to offer support and encourage extracurricular activities.
- Composed and led performances for both vocal and instrumental music.
- Created Curriculum for grades 4-12 General and Vocal Music.
- Participated in Solo & Ensemble and Choral Festival.
- Arranged for students to participate in and perform in community events.
- Submitted, managed and complied with established budgets.
- Positioned members within groups to obtain balance among instrumental or vocal sections.
- Maintained calendars of events and assisted in event planning.
- Educated students on proper vocal techniques and vocal warm-ups.
- Determined voices, instruments, harmonic structures, rhythms, tempos and tone balances required to achieve effects desired in each musical composition.
- Created a vocal jazz ensemble which performed throughout the community and at school functions.
- Taught elementary Art (Grades 1, 4, 5) Spanish (4, 5), Music (4, 5), and High School Choir (9-12).
Education
Path to Leadership Program - Certificate of Administration
Michigan Association of Secondary School Principal
06.2023
M.Ed - Emphasis on Learning Disabilities
Calvin College
05.2005
Masters Work - Music Ed
The University of Michigan
1996
Vocal Performance - Music Performance
The American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS)
Graz, Austria1992
Bachelor of Arts - Music Education (Vocal)
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI12.1992
Skills
- Leader in staff and large group management
- Builds and Maintains excellent relationships with students, parents, administrators, and community
- Collaborative and Empowering
- Idea and Solution generator
- Mentor to teachers and education majors
- Result-oriented, Data-driven
- Identifies individuals with exceptional needs and sets them up for success
- Builds bridges between home and school
- Conversational Spanish
- Educated in and committed to Cultural IQ, Diversity Equity, Inclusion
- Ability to prioritize
Accomplishments
- Global Leadership Award, Forest Hills Public Schools (FHPS)
- District Report Card Committee Music Representative, Forest Hills Public Schools
- Leader of K-5 Music Professional Learning Community, Forest Hills Public Schools
- Leader of Specials Teachers' Professional Learning Community, Ada Vista Elementary, FHPS
- Created and Produced Multi-Cultural, Multi-Lingual Music Performances for 400 students plus alumni
- Ada Vista's first Special Education Teacher, Forest Hills Public Schools
- Mentor Teacher for new hires, Forest Hills Public Schools
- Teacher Leader for student assistants from Calvin University, Aquinas College, Cornerstone University
Affiliations
Participant: Institute for Healing Racism, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Grand Rapids, MI
Participant: Institute for Healing Racism, GRACE, Grand Rapids, MI
Volunteer: Grand Rapids Symphony, Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, Grand Rapids, MI
Member: NAACP
Member: Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals
Past Member: Michigan School Vocal Music Association, Michigan Music Educators Association
FHPS Elementary Community Chorus Coordinator: Live Arts with the Grand Rapids Symphony
Ada Vista Elementary Choir Director: Coro de Ada Vista
Timeline
Substitute Administrator/Principal Intern
Forest Hills Public Schools
09.2022 - Current
Student Ambassador/Staff/Parent Group Coordinator
Forest Hills Public Schools
09.2021 - Current
Vocal Director - High School Musicals
Forest Hills Public Schools
01.2019 - 03.2020
Adjunct Professor
Calvin University
01.2017 - 03.2020
Music Teacher
Ada Vista Elementary, Forest Hills Public Schools
08.2002 - Current
Music Teacher
Walker Charter Academy, National Heritage Academies
08.1998 - 01.2000
High School Choir Director/Elementary Music Teacher
Newaygo Public Schools
08.1993 - 08.1997
Path to Leadership Program - Certificate of Administration
Michigan Association of Secondary School Principal
M.Ed - Emphasis on Learning Disabilities
Calvin College
Masters Work - Music Ed
The University of Michigan
Vocal Performance - Music Performance
The American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS)
Bachelor of Arts - Music Education (Vocal)
Western Michigan University
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