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Perrin welcomes two new principals

Thu, 08/02/2018 - 5:19 pm
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    Loren Sell returns to Perrin after five years in Jacksboro to become the secondary principal. He said the decision to return to Perrin, where he spent nine years before going to Jacksboro, was difficult but is looking forward to being back on the Pirate ship.
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    New Perrin Elementary Principal Teresa Mathis has 26 years of education experience and spent the last three years as elementary counselor in Poolville. She states that while not having the title of assistant principal, she was doing many of those duties, helping to prepare her for the new position.

Mathis comes to Perrin from Poolville

PERRIN – Your plan is nothing compared to God’s plan.

Teresa Mathis can speak first hand about that. Perrin’s new elementary principal, who spent the last three years as elementary counselor in Poolville ISD, never had any plans of coming here after receiving her online certification to become a principal.

“My original plan was to stay in Poolville and wait a year or two because the elementary principal was said to be retiring,” Mathis said. “When this job came open, I was already doing some of the principal duties in Poolville, so I figured I’d come over and try it.”

Mathis, who has 26 years of experience in education, including 20 in the classroom, says she was unofficially an administrator while a counselor in Poolville.

“I didn’t have the title of assistant principal because there wasn’t one, but I was still doing a lot of those duties” Mathis said. “I was testing coordinator. I was 504 coordinator, assuring we were compliant with all phases of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I was doing a lot of the duties already.”

It is her first foray out of Parker County, having spent 18 years in Aledo and a couple of years in Peaster before heading to Poolville. She is still getting used to things in Perrin, having spent just one day in her office so far while undergoing training at Region 9 ESC for new principals with her fellow Perrin principal Loren Sell.

She realizes she still has a lot to learn and has found the staff and students she has met to be warm and accommodating.

“I want to make sure that all kids are successful by making sure that all their needs are being met,” Mathis said. “I want to make sure that all our staff and teachers are getting to know their students on a personal level. You can’t know a child and help them until you know what they are going through at home.”

Sell returns to lead the high school

PERRIN – After a lengthy stint at Perrin earlier in the decade, Loren Sell will be returning to the school to become its new leader.

Sell, who spent nine years as agriculture teacher in Perrin before taking a similar position in Jacksboro for the last five years, will be returning to pirate land after being hired as the school’s new secondary school principal. Sell replaces April Richardson, who was principal for one year at the school after serving as counselor and a teacher at the school for more than a decade.

Sell, who once thought he would be retiring in Perrin, said after being hired recently he found coming back to Perrin interesting.

“I bleed blue and gold. It’s a good town with a lot of good people,” Sell said. “I’m excited. I’m ready to get the year started.”

Sell admits he’s not one for change and hopes to stabilize a school that has seen three different principals in the last three years. 

“I’ve never been one to change,” Sell said. “I always go into a scenario where every decision I make will affect me for 10-20 years down the road. I plan to be here for the long haul. I wasn’t searching for a job, this was a scenario that was meant to be.”

Sell said he has received nothing but support for the move from JHS administration and his fellow JHS ag teacher Kevin Thomas.

“It was hard to leave, but JHS Principal (Brad Burnett), JISD Superintendent (Dwain Milam) and Mr. Thomas all said if this is your path, we will support it. It’s just part of the game.”

He was hired July 23 and underwent training at Region 9 along with new elementary principal Teresa Mathis. He admits he still needs to meet most of his staff but says the learning curve is still large.

“I’m at the bottom of the learning curve and it’s rising quick,” Sell said.

Sell graduated from Tarleton State where he received his Bachelor’s degree in 2004 and his Master’s in 2006.  He said that while FFA is his passion, children as a whole are an even bigger passion.

“It’s important to me to influence even a broader range of kids than what will come through the classroom,” Sell said. “My experience as an FFA teacher and a member of the ag teacher association will prove to be very helpful here.”