The 2022-23 school year is kicking off with two new positions added with the goal of providing extra support to make sure each student finds success. Mary Grile is the Secondary Student Success Coordinator and Shannon McLaren is the Student Success Coordinator added to Washington Street Elementary, the district’s largest elementary school.

“My hopes and aspirations for this role is to provide students the tools and strategies needed to have a successful year, both academically and socially,” McLaren says. 

“My hope in this new position is that we make sure that every student leaves OHS with a plan for the future whether that is entering the workforce, college, skilled trades, military, etc.,” says Grile. 

Both of these positions are an integral part of the District’s new Strategic Plan, passed this past spring. Individualized Student Success and Career Exploration & Engagement are two of the four focus areas in that Strategic Plan. McLaren and Grile will both work with teachers and staff to individualize resources or services for students who need the extra support. “We want to make sure that all of our students are finding success not only during their high school years, but to also set them up with a plan for after high school,” Grile adds.

The elementary position starts this process earlier, helping to guide students on a path toward success and give them opportunities to thrive in all areas of their educational experience. “I will be consulting with students, staff, and parents to help ensure that students are provided a safe and caring learning environment and are given multiple opportunities to grow throughout the school year,” explains McLaren.

McLaren and Grile have both been working at Otsego Public Schools for more than twenty years and are excited to launch these new roles and help students in a new way. “I have truly enjoyed my time spent teaching in the classroom, but am excited for this new opportunity; I look forward to getting to know all of the students and families at Washington Street Elementary and hope that together, we can make a difference,” McLaren says. 

“I am super excited about this role,” Grile says, “I love helping students figure out what they want to do after HS and how to make that happen.”