Assistant Principal Ginna Myers has announced that her last day at Piedmont will be June 30. She will start her new position at Eureka Union School District (EUSD) beginning July 1.

Myers, who was hired July 1 last year, will stay through the end of this school year before becoming the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Professional Development and Student assessment at EUSD.

“She has been a great benefit to the school, but she was able to find a position that was closer to home and also aligned to the work that she is currently doing here,” Principal Brent Daniels said.

Because Myers lives near Sacramento, she commutes over five hours each day to and from Piedmont. The EUSD district office she will be working at is a 12-minute drive from her house. The district has eight schools, making it slightly larger than Piedmont. The only factor affecting her decision to leave is the long commute.

“I really enjoy working at PHS. If I could transplant my house over here, I would not leave at all,” Myers said. “Because of the drive, I am forced to make this decision that is heartbreaking for me. ”

As PHS’s Assistant Principal for Counseling, Curriculum and Instruction, Myers has been been working on improving each student’s learning experience through staff development and classroom observations.

“This year she has been instrumental in looking at differentiation instruction in the classroom,” Daniels said.

The differentiation committee is comprised of teachers who plan staff developments and share strategies on how to support different kinds of student learning styles. To help students excel in the classroom, Myers also coordinates 504 meetings.

“504 meetings are meetings that concern accommodations for students to be successful,” Myers said. “For example, if a student has high test anxiety, we make sure that we alleviate that anxiety so that they can perform as well as they can during tests.”

During her time at PHS, Myers has worked hard to improve the students’ academic experiences, but she also recognizes the importance of fun.

“Remain as great as you are and have fun,” Myers said. “Academics is important, but pay attention to your social-emotional health. Don’t give up one for the other. Exercise your brains and learn as much as you can, but don’t forget to have fun along the way.”

Freshman Taylor Beasley, who works in the counseling office during seventh period, said Myers’s interest in students extends beyond academics.

“She is always asking me about how music is going or how horseback riding is going, so she is very interested in my personal life in a good way,” Beasley said.

In the months that Beasley has known Myers, Beasley has noticed Myers’s attention to the overall well being of students.

“She is one of those people that you are proud to know,” Beasley said.

Myers said that she will miss students, parents, teachers and the administration team she forms with Daniels and Assistant Principal Eric Mapes. Before Myers leaves, she hopes to attend all of the remaining student functions.

“My first goal is to get to know as many students as I can, go to as many games, plays, dances and performances as I can,” Meyers said. “There is just an energy here you cannot find elsewhere.”

Myers has come to understand the importance in doing everything she can to accommodate students’ needs. She encourages the incoming assistant principal to offer the same support.

“Don’t be afraid to think outside the box or of making decisions that will set a precedent,” Myers said. “If a student needs some dedicated support, don’t be afraid to think outside the box to give that support. Your main concern is how you can support the student.”