Ms. Humphrey’s Thoughts on Life, School and Unicorns

In July of 2021 Ms. Humphrey, our new Principal, and in August 2021, Ms. McLinden, our new Assistant Principal, joined Coonley and have been working hard ever since. We asked Ms. Humphrey, our Principal, about her ideas and thoughts on Coonley. 

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Ms. Humphrey weighed in on school lunch and stated, “Food is important for you — especially that it’s healthy.” Although she hasn’t completed her first 90 days as a Principal yet, she has seen from her meeting with kids from each class that many students aren’t fans of school lunch. She plans to go deeper in exploring that topic once she completes her 90 days and discovers more about Coonley’s students. We asked, “Why did you want to become a principal?” Ms. Humphrey responded, “I was once a math teacher for a highschool near my home, and a lot of smart kids dropped out, or got expelled and such. They didn’t have counselors and the  support they needed. I wanted to be a principal to give people more opportunities and make impacts on their mental health, give them a space to talk to someone, and prepare them for the highschool journey and for the future.” With that, Ms. Humphrey says her favorite part of being a principal so far has been that, “the students are amazing and kind.”

One thing Ms. Humphrey told us that given the choice between hard candy or chocolate, she said, “chocolate.” “What is your opinion on Unicorns?” Ms. Humphrey said, “I think that unicorns are super popular. I've seen unicorn shirts, backpacks, masks, etc.” She sees unicorns as special, unique, and colorful.

Ms. Humphrey’s favorite books are The Day the Crayons Quit followed by Ambitious Girl. “These books give off a positive, confident message, and they give off such powerful vibes.” “Is there anything you’ve taken the time to improve during our at-home quarantine over the past year?” She said she took the time to improve things like her mental health, bring herself peace, and do yoga. It seems like Ms. Humphrey is a spiritual and peaceful person, striving for positivity and empathy for herself and others. So how did Ms. Humphrey meet the vice principal, Ms. McLinden? She said once she was chosen to be the principal, Ms. McLinden applied, and exceeded all Ms. Humphrey’s expectations for a vice principal, so she hired her. For Halloween, the duo did a joint costume with Ms. Humphrey as Elsa and Ms. McLinden as Anna. Seeing as there are a lot of Frozen fans at Coonley, this was a great idea.
When asked about the use of fidgets in classrooms, she said she believes they are great for focus, and even had a few of her own she showed us. She thinks if used properly, fidgets can be great tools. 
We look forward to getting to know our administrators in the days ahead. What would you like to know about the new administration? Email prmeegan@cps.edu to ask your questions.

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