New Year, New Faces at Bridge Street Middle School
Joselyn King Trending
WHEELING -- A new school year started in Ohio County Schools Friday with new principals in place at Bridge Street Middle School, and fresh faces ready to start a new routine of learning.
One young man quickly went up to Assistant Principal Bryan Arbes and politely introduced himself.
"I'm probably going to be in your office a lot," he told him.
New sixth-grade students gathered in the large outside area at Bridge Street before the start of classes. Their teachers or a designated person held up signs with their name, and the students came together with them before going inside.
A sixth-grade girl approached Arbes to ask who her homeroom teacher would be. He told her, and she pumped her fist and murmured, "Yes."
"You sound excited," Arbes told her.
There are also three new teachers at the school. Andrew Bellevage is teaching the Title 1 program; Jennifer Whitfield, media; and Luke Mazure, music.
New Principal Jacob Galik - previously a long-time social studies teacher at Wheeling Park - was approved for the job on Aug. 2, and it's his first position as a principal. He said the past two weeks "have been a whirlwind, but in a good way." He has had to process much information.
"Everyday it gets a little easier than the day before it," Galik explained. "The staff has been so awesome in helping us get up to speed. It's exciting.
"There's nothing like the first day of school, with the kids taking it all in. It has been something."
He said he is enjoying the new job immensely, but admitted he was going to miss teaching.
"I was a teacher for 20 years," Galik said. "In that world, you have control over what's going to happen minute by minute, class by class, day by day basis.
"Here, stuff happens and you just deal with it. It's exciting and new."
As a teacher, your role is to make sure students in your classes have the best educational experience they can. But as a principal, the focus shifts to assuring a positive experience for all students in the school, he continued.
"I'm excited for the opportunity," Galik said.
He noted he doesn't yet have any new plans or ideas for the school. He succeeds former principal Jessica Broski-Birch, who has moved on to become head of school at Wheeling Country Day School.
"To be honest with you, I'm not sure yet," Galik said. "They did a lot right here, and I don't want to rock the boat just to make change. We're going to see where things could get a little better, and we'll implement things as we see it."