Jill Versteeg is no longer an Associate Principal at East High School. But wait, you’re positive you saw her in the building last week. She’s still here, she is just now serving as East High School’s Interim principal.
This is Versteeg’s fourth year at East. She was at Johnston for 13 years as a special education teacher and an instructional coach. As principal, she oversees all the departments and supports the other associate principals, as well as working with the alumni foundation.
“We have some unique opportunities to grow right now at East High School and that’s what I’m excited about,” Versteeg said.
What is going to be different for students this year?
“The first thing we’ve put in place is the 70 percent attendance to be able to attend activities, as well as having student IDs available if asked for it,” Versteeg said.
East has put this new rule in place as of November 8. Administrators will pull up the attendance list every week to see if you are eligible to attend upcoming events. You won’t be penalized for excused absences.
East High students are also required to always have their student IDs with them. Students will not be allowed to enter the building without an ID.
“We just want to keep East High school safe; we want to make sure there are only East students in our building, and if you forget your ID, go to the office to get a pass for that day,” Versteeg said.
Personal life
Outside of school, Versteeg loves to read, and spends most of her free time with her kids. Versteeg and her husband have been married for almost 15 years. They have two kids, an 11-year-old and a nine-year-old.
“We like to read and hike as a family. Driving them to events has become my hobby right now,” Versteeg said.
Versteeg knows that this school year has brought a lot of change and she encourages students to reach out with questions and concerns.
“There has been a lot of transition these past few weeks, and I want students to know that if they have questions or need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or other administrators. Don’t feel like we’re off limits. I want to open up those lines of communication more with students and families,” Versteeg said.