New town, new school

Published 12:00 pm Saturday, September 3, 2005

Trish King takes the reins at the Island School on Day Road.

Trish King spent her summer vacation preparing for the new school year.

“I’ve been positively joyful in the work,” said King, the new head of the Island School, a private K-5 campus on Day Road East. She replaces co-founder Kelly Webster, who retired after 28 years at the helm.

Well before the first day of school, King met with each teacher individually, attended a faculty retreat and introduced herself to families at every party for each class (kindergarten through fifth grade).

She has learned that “balance is the hallmark of this school. It walks its talk in really addressing the needs of the children.”

The school’s other co-founders, Nancy and Dave Leedy, remain on board.

“Nancy will continue to keep a close eye on the program,” King said. “She and Dave will continue to keep that light burning.”

King previously was the director of Upper School at Portland Jewish Academy. During her two-year stint, she helped the K-8 academy open a high school with 11 students.

She was approached to fill Webster’s position before the academy closed the high school after its first year because of financial problems. The offer “came out of the blue,” she said.

During her first visit, King was enthralled by the size of the school and the island community. Living in Portland had taught her that she wasn’t a big city girl any more.

“It was just right on so many levels. I love the small school environment,” she said.

King said summer meetings with faculty members gave her the opportunity to get a sense of who they are as individuals and gave them a chance to get to know her. Together, they discussed visions and goals.

“I don’t like to say Kelly left big shoes to fill, because I don’t want anyone to think Kelly has big feet,” King said. “I prefer to say, ‘Kelly left many shoes to fill.’”

Nancy Leedy said, “Trish has a tremendous task, stepping into a well-established community. Our all-day retreat set the tone for the new year. She is incredibly inspirational and positive and got everybody excited about the new possibilities.”

Faculty members are providing information all the time, King said, as she maneuvers the ins and outs of the school.

“With teachers of this caliber, you lead with them,” she said. “They so often lead themselves. They know how to set their direction and their goals and just need someone to structure and organize for them.

“We’re all in sync. It doesn’t just feel that way, it really is that way.”

King also is appreciative of the “very warm welcome” she has received from the families and the community.

Last November, when King accepted the job, she was advised to buy a home right away. She and her husband, Paul, found a place five minutes from the school.

Paul, a retired theater director professor, moved to the island in February, while King stayed in Portland to tie up loose ends and sell their home there.

By mid-June, she was meeting with Webster, whom she has known for years through the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools board.

“I really feel like I’m just settling in,” King said.

King was born in New Orleans, where a lot of her family still lives. They survived Hurricane Katrina.

She grew up outside New Orleans and later lived in Baton Rouge and Zachary for about 25 years.

She enjoys visits to her parents and other family members, who know she’s always ready for gumbo and Gulf seafood.

King graduated from Louisiana State University, which she said offers “incredible voice, music and theater programs. Theater was my passion for many years.”

King taught for years in public and private Catholic schools, tackling English, directing and creative dramatics, as well as puppetry and theater.

Her top priority is to establish a strong relationship with every member of the faculty.

“They need to know they are safe with me and trust me,” she said. “It’s very hard to have good communication if you don’t have a trusting, safe environment. It’s certainly true with children, too.”

She wants to extend that relationship into the community, and has called the island’s three public elementary school principals.

The Island School’s projected 2005-06 enrollment is close to 90 students. Students come from Poulsbo, Kingston and surrounding communities, as well as Bainbridge.

“I’m just getting to know people and organizations,” King said. “There’ll be so much to learn as the year goes by.”

She also is “learning the rhythm of the heartbeat that is the Island School.”

“I love being in an environment where I get to play. There is nothing better in the world than teaching children,” King said.