By Dennis Volkert
Christine Welc has been named next principal at Eastwood Elementary School.
She was introduced formally Monday at a meeting of Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education.
Fourteen people had applied for the position.
“I’m excited to start a journey with the Sturgis community,” Welc told board members and administrators. “Thank you for putting your trust in me.”
Welc, currently of Portage, succeeds Mike Miller, who accepted a position as principal at Bronson Junior/Senior High School. Miller started at SPS in 2006, and was named principal at Eastwood in 2017.
Since 2015, Welc has served as principal, dean and teacher at Paramount Charter Academy in Kalamazoo. Paramount is a young-5’s and K-8 system. Welc oversaw about 350 students and worked with a staff of 55 to 70.
Prior to that, she was principal at Warrendale Charter Academy in Detroit. She also taught sixth-grade at Detroit Merit Academy and eighth-grade science at Richmond Community Schools.
In addition, Welc coaches softball and is a member of the board of directors for South Portage Little League.
She has a Bachelor of Science in education from Wayne State University (2003) and a Master of Arts in educational leadership from Saginaw Valley State University.
Welc told the Sentinel she is “beyond ecstatic” to assume the principal role at Eastwood. She was drawn to the district because she was raised in a similar community and has passion for educating students in grades 3-5.
“I firmly believe that every student deserves the opportunity to thrive academically, socially and emotionally, and it is my mission to ensure that Eastwood becomes a beacon of excellence in fulfilling this promise,” she said. “I’m dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and a learning environment where every student and staff member feels valued, supported and inspired to reach their full potential.”
Superintendent Art Ebert this week lauded of Welc’s background and accomplishments.
“Christine comes to us with a wealth of experience and a proven track record of building high-functioning teams that meet the needs of students,” Ebert said.
Parker, Van Almen join faculty
Sturgis schools recently announced hiring of two teachers, Brad Parker and Mercedes Van Almen, for the 2024-25 academic year.
Parker was hired as a special education teacher at the high school. Van Allen will teach choir at the middle school and high school.
Parker has more than 16 years of teaching experience in special education. He has a Master of Science from Ball State University.
Van Almen, an SHS alum with class of 2015, received a Bachelor of Music Education from Central Michigan University. He was part of the event staff at CMU’s school of music.
