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College Community names leader of new 9th Grade Center
Holly Palmersheim will be principal of the new school, which opens fall 2024
Apr. 21, 2023 6:00 am
CEDAR RAPIDS — Holly Palmersheim, associate principal at Prairie Point Middle School, was named the first principal of the district’s 9th Grade Center, which opens in fall 2024.
The 9th Grade Center is the final phase of the College Community School District’s 10-year facilities plan created to address growing student enrollment.
“We are excited for our ninth-grade students to have expanded opportunities in their first year of high school through this move,” Superintendent Doug Wheeler said in a statement. “Holly is a dynamic and innovative leader who will ensure students have a solid foundation as they begin their four-year journey toward graduation through programming and opportunities designed for ninth-grade students.”
To accommodate growth, ninth-graders and students at Prairie Delta, an alternative high school, will move to the existing Prairie Creek Intermediate building, which is being renovated in to the 9th Grade Center. Renovations to Prairie Creek will begin at the end of this school year.
Currently, ninth-graders attend Prairie Point Middle School with seventh- and eighth-graders. Prairie Creek Intermediate is a school for fifth- and sixth-graders. College Community is completing a new fifth- and sixth-grade school located south of Prairie Point opening this fall.
About 450 students will attend the 9th Grade Center.
Palmersheim and her husband, Dustin, have two children — Kendall, who is an eight-grader at Prairie Point, and Tyler, who is a second-grader at Prairie Hill Elementary.
The Gazette sat down with Palmersheim to learn more about her vision for the center.
Q: Why did you go in to education?
A: It was one of those things where, in second grade, I said I was going to be a teacher. That’s all I ever thought of being. I went to college at (the University of Northern Iowa) and knew I was going to be a math teacher. I know not everyone gets to take that direct of a journey, but it’s always been in my heart.
I still really love teaching math, I love any opportunity I get to be in classroom and work with kids in any capacity, but math is my favorite.
Math is a strength of mine, but I wanted to be that person who worked with kids who didn’t feel that great about math. I mostly taught geometry, which is not always everyone’s favorite. I wanted them to feel like they could learn it, that they could do it, even if they didn’t like it. Helping kids learn — that’s where I get energy from and joy from.
Q: How do you think a dedicated space for ninth-graders will benefit them socially and academically?
A: Ninth grade is an interesting year. They’re only 14 to 15 years old. They still need a lot of adult guidance and support in learning how to be a high school student.
You have this opportunity to have staff dedicated to that one grade as they transition in to high school. We have a team focused on what kids need and how we give them the best foundation possible to be successful.
Q: The 9th Grade Center will have students only for one year. Will you miss building yearslong relationships with kids?
A: There will be a lot of things I will miss about that relationship building, but I think it will help me focus on building those relationships with kids before Day One. I will miss getting to see students grow over the years.
Q: What do you want parents to know about the new school?
A: I want them to know we are still going to be really focused on helping students’ transition. We want the best experiences possible and that’s to support and provide opportunities for the success of all ninth-graders. We want to listen to them, hear what the needs are and make as many things possible for kids as we possibly can.
Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com
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