Junior high welcomes new principal
Coming from OLG, Rikki Mortl is this years new junior high principal.
September 23, 2019
This year, BSM welcomes Ms. Rikki Mortl as the new junior high principal.
While Mortl may be new to BSM, she is not unfamiliar with the environment. Mortl attended Regis High School in Eau Clarie, Wisconsin. As a graduate of a small, Catholic high school herself, Mortl is already comfortable in this setting. “I really feel like I’m coming back [to my high school.] It’s like a flashback,” Mortl said.
Aside from attending a Catholic high school, Mortl has also spent time in Catholic schools as a teacher. Mortl spent the past fourteen years at Our Lady of Grace where she fulfilled many roles. “I was a teacher for nine years…I was in charge of the [STEM program] and was a part-time librarian…then I [became] the five-day learning specialist…and after a year of that, I transitioned into being an assistant principal for the past three years,” Mortl said.
Having a background in many different areas allows Mortl to be more aware of the many aspects of a school. “I love that [my position] was changing, and I was able to wear a lot of different hats…so I feel like I can put myself in [teachers’] shoes a lot easier,” Mortl said.
In addition to her broad range of experience, Mortl has already grown comfortable at BSM due to the close-knit community. “I have felt [the community] so overwhelmingly…It’s your own little group of people, and everybody’s in it together,” Mortl said.
Along with the community, Mortl thoroughly appreciates the spirit of the student body. “Seeing all the good and kindness that so many people exude here is great,” Mortl said.
While Mortl is settling into her new position, she isn’t looking to make any big changes in this first year. “I really want to learn about all the great things that are going on…I want to hear from the kids and the teachers [about the] things that [they] would like to see [to decide] what direction we should head in together; I don’t want it to just be me, that’s just not my style,” Mortl said.
Although she doesn’t have many changes in mind, Mortl is very excited for her upcoming time at BSM. “[I’m looking forward to] getting to know the community and watching the students grow…it was always my favorite as a teacher [to witness] the change in…body, mind and spirit [as students progress through junior high],” Mortl said.
