Republic Families and Employees,
At the Republic School District Board of Education meeting on February 20 three head principals were named to begin their new roles July 1, 2020. The hiring of these positions is largely due to the movement within the organization following the retirement announcement of Superintendent, Dr. Wistrom. As a reminder, current Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Pearce will become Superintendent. Current Republic High School Principal, Mr. Overstreet will become Assistant Superintendent. Mrs. Coursey, current Schofield Principal will become the district’s Director of Elementary Learning, and Ms Sainz, current McCulloch principal is pursuing a position outside of the district.
Join us in congratulating Mr. John Thompson who will be leading Republic High School, Mr. Kevin Creighton who will be McCulloch Elementary’s new principal and Mrs. Markie Bravestone who will head up Schofield Elementary.
JOHN THOMPSON
Mr. John Thompson, who started his educational career 15 years ago, currently serves as an assistant principal and athletic director at Parkview High School in Springfield. Prior to joining the administrative team he served the students of Parkview as a science teacher, head baseball coach and head softball coach. Mr. Thompson holds degrees from Missouri State University and William Woods University including a bachelor of science in secondary biology education and master's in secondary education administration. Also, Mr. Thompson is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership.
Mr. Thompson is credited for his ability to build strong relationships with students and fellow teammates. When asked to describe why he is an educator Mr. Thompson indicated, “Above all else, my students are the drive behind the desire. Impacting students is my life’s calling. It is my passion for students that has fueled my desire to make an impact and motivated me to seek opportunities to serve in progressively higher capacities.” We look forward to seeing this passion come to life at RHS!
KEVIN CREIGHTON
McCulloch’s new leader, Mr. Kevin Creighton will be joining our team from the Dent-Phelps School District where he has been serving as Elementary Principal. Throughout his eight years in education Mr. Creighton has obtained kindergarten-8th grade student experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with an education certification from Missouri S&T along with a master’s in educational administration from Southwest Baptist University.
He is a relational leader who deeply values the importance of a positive building culture while also being an exceptional data-driven decision maker. These strengths combined allow him to help students and employees reach their fullest potential. Mr. Creighton’s dynamic personality and passion for success will be a great fit for the McCulloch community.
MARKIE BRAVESTONE
Mrs. Markie Bravestone, who is currently the assistant principal at Schofield Elementary will be taking the head principal position of the building for next school year. Mrs. Bravestone has served as assistant principal for the last five years at Schofield, and was a classroom teacher in various grades the five years before that. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Missouri Southern State University along with both a master’s and specialist’s in administration from Missouri State University.
In her ten years as an educator Mrs. Bravestone has had a large impact on students and fellow teammates. Her top strengths within the StrengthsFinder platform include learner, harmony and achiever. By definition, this identifies Mrs. Bravestone as a lifelong learner who brings people together to work hard to reach goals. We’ve already seen this in action at Schofield and look forward to the additional work she will contribute as head principal.
As the 2020-2021 school year approaches events for families to get to know these new leaders will take place. Stay tuned for additional details.
All three of these educators bring with them vast knowledge and full toolboxes of educational resources to serve Republic students and district teammates. We look forward to welcoming them into their new roles for the 2020-2021 school year!
Sincerely,
Josey McPhail
Director of Communications
Republic School District
