Seymour Middle School Sixth Grade Center gets interim principal

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Seymour Community School Corp. has made some changes in administration, moving a principal and an assistant principal to different schools and bringing a former administrator back from retirement.

Linda Luedeman, 60, of Crothersville recently was named interim principal of the Seymour Middle School Sixth Grade Center. Her first official day was April 1.

She replaces Karla Bohle, who transferred to Seymour High School to be an assistant principal.

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Bohle served as principal of the sixth grade center for two years. Before that, she worked at Seymour-Jackson Elementary School as an assistant principal.

The position at the high school became available after Assistant Principal Catherine DuBois transferred to Emerson Elementary School to serve in the newly created position of assistant principal and dyslexia coordinator.

Interim Superintendent Brandon Harpe said the corporation is required by the state to have a dyslexia coordinator by next school year.

DuBois will serve in that capacity and also provide support to Emerson and Seymour-Redding Elementary School’s special education programs. Emerson is home to the district’s SOAR autism program, and Redding houses the BEST behavioral program.

“Both of these schools are showing growth in these programs and have requested additional help,” Harpe said.

School trustees approved the appointment and transfers during a meeting Tuesday night.

Luedeman had been filling in at the sixth grade center during the third quarter for a science teacher on maternity leave.

“I had been retired for five years,” she said. “They knew I had my administrator license and had experience, and they needed someone to help finish out the school year.”

The job is like a homecoming, as Luedeman helped close the building in 2003 as principal when it was the old Seymour-Jackson Elementary School.

“This is where I started,” she said. “I think God had a plan for me. I’m excited to be here. I can’t imagine it being any better.”

She’s even in the same office she used back then. She was only there for two years before moving to the new Jackson Elementary building in Freeman Field.

“We were building the new Jackson, so I was here for that construction project,” she said.

Before obtaining her principal’s license, Luedeman taught at Crothersville for 16 years.

“Sixth grade is actually the last grade I taught,” she said. “Who would have thought I would be back in sixth grade all this time later? Things have just been a whirlwind.”

Before working for Seymour Community School Corp., she was an assistant principal at East Washington Elementary School and later went back as principal at East Washington Middle School for eight years and also served as director of programs and operations for East Washington School Corp., from where she retired.

She has stayed involved in education by being elected to the Crothersville Community School Corp. board of trustees in 2014 and now is vice president serving her second term.

Going back to the classroom again has been a learning experience, she said, especially when it comes to technology.

“You can teach an old dog new tricks,” she said. “I was like, ‘Where is the overhead projector?’ I had to learn Google Docs and Drive, so I’ve done a lot of learning myself.”

Luedeman said she has received a lot of support from the more than 25 teachers and 400 students at the sixth grade center.

“They have taken me under their wing,” she said.

She sees her current position as one of guidance.

“I’m here to steer the ship and make sure everybody has what they need and help in the best way I can to get the students finished up with sixth grade and help the staff,” she said. “There are so many things you do at the end of a school year.”

Harpe said the sixth grade center principal position has been posted.

“We will be evaluating the positions and all personnel as we close this school year,” he said.

Although she doesn’t know if she will still be at the school in the fall, Luedeman said she is working with the staff to have everything in place so the school can have the best opening it has ever had.

“That’s my goal,” she said. “We’re going to make improvements where we see necessary and finish up this year as strong as we can so they’re ready for a great start. I want this building and staff to have the best person that fits.”

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