Seymour Community School Corp. has brought aboard a new principal and assistant principal for the 2023-24 school year.
Brandon Davis is the assistant principal at Margaret R. Brown Elementary School, and Whitney Reinhart is the new principal of Seymour Middle School.
Seymour Middle School
Whitney Reinhart, 35, grew up in Seymour and still lives here with husband Scott Reinhart and their four sons, Jax, 9; Knox, 6; Hudd, 2; and Finn, 1.
Reinhart said she can’t pinpoint just one person who was the influence behind her wanting to be a teacher.
“There is no doubt the teachers, administrators, coaches and parents I was surrounded by growing up in this community shaped me into who I am today,” she said. “What a joy to be able to now serve as a principal in that same community.”
Reinhart attended Indiana University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, followed by Western Governors University, where she earned her master’s degree in educational leadership.
“I was a student teacher in 2011 at Seymour-Redding Elementary School with Laura Burbrink and then overseas in Cork, Ireland, at Togher Boys Primary School,” Reinhart said. “I started out in administration at Immanuel Lutheran School with Dr. Todd Behmlander in 2017.”
Prior to taking over as the middle school principal July 1, Reinhart was the Crothersville Elementary School principal from 2021 to 2023, Seymour-Jackson Elementary School instructional coach from 2017 to 2021, Margaret R. Brown Elementary School teacher from 2014 to 2017 and Clifty Creek Elementary School teacher in Columbus from 2012 to 2014.
“While teaching at Brown Elementary, Bridget Longmeier served as an instructional coach,” Reinhart said. “She really played a role in my decision to transition from the classroom to a school building leadership role because I saw the positive value of her work with educators.”
She said as an administrator, she values networking with surrounding area principals and working with an experienced administrator as a mentor throughout the school year.
“I participated in Indiana New Administrators Leadership Institute the past two years, and that pushed me to continue to grow personally and professionally,” she said. “I was accepted into the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute this upcoming school year and will begin that work next week at Indiana State University.”
Reinhart said she is looking forward to listening to feedback from staff members prior to the start of the school year and getting to know the students and families they serve at the middle school beginning in August.
“Serving in my new role, I plan to build upon existing strengths of the building, and SMS currently has a structure in place that embraces collaboration,” Reinhart said. “Being a learning leader, I am enthusiastic about growing alongside staff throughout the school year. Together, we can foster positive action and best prepare students to be successful now and into the future.”
Advice she would give to any first-time teachers is to remember why you’re here. There will be lots to learn, and it will come.
“Embrace mistakes with students as learning experiences and celebrate the small wins throughout your day with students,” Reinhart said. “Seeking advice from mentors and collaborating with other educators within and outside of our own building is a great way to broaden your learning.”
She has started getting settled into her office and has met some key players on the SMS team already this summer, such as the custodial staff, technology crew, school resource officer and assistant principals.
“I look forward to engaging in upcoming professional development opportunities at the end of July with staff,” Reinhart said. “I am grateful to Seymour schools for this opportunity to serve our students, staff and families of Seymour Middle School this upcoming school year. Looking forward to working together soon.”
Margaret R. Brown Elementary School
Brandon Davis, 31, is a lifelong resident of Seymour, where he lives with wife Haley Davis, an English language teacher at Seymour High School, and their two daughters, Sloan and Harper.
Davis attended Indiana State University for his bachelor’s degree in elementary education and Ball State University for his master’s degree in educational leadership.
He completed his student teaching with fifth grade at Brownstown Elementary School and first grade at Seymour-Jackson Elementary School.
“I graduated from Indiana State a semester early and needed to work while trying to get a teaching job, so I worked at Voss and Sons Funeral Service,” Davis said. “I then got a job that next fall teaching fourth grade at Brownstown Elementary.”
He taught there for three years and grew as a teacher and an individual but was given an opportunity to work again at Voss and Sons, he said.
“I went and worked for Mark Adams and Scotty Wessel for two years and learned so much in regard to loving people and managing facilities and operations,” Davis said. “But at the end of those two years, I realized my heart was with kids and teachers and knew I needed to come back to education.”
He also coached basketball and the girls tennis team at Seymour Middle School and then took on the role of boys tennis head coach at Seymour High School.
Davis said there are several people who influenced him to become a teacher while he was growing up. They include Debby Stout, Scott Heiman, Sandy Mellencamp, Ellen Mirer, Kevin Cottrill, Jessica Floyd, Brantley Blythe and Jane Siefert.
“Steve Bush and Loriann Wessel were my mentors for my internship program through Ball State and also Robin Ramp, whom I got the chance to teach with the last two years,” Davis said. “I did get the chance to teach with my wife for the last three years. She encouraged me, and there was always a little healthy competition.”
Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, cooking, spending time with family, watching sports — specifically Colts, Pacers and Kentucky Wildcats — and listening to music.
“I hope to be able to serve and love our community to the best of my ability, and I want students to want to come to school and for teachers to want to be there even more,” he said. “I want to grow as an educator and learn everything I possibly can from my peers and students around me.”
Advice he would give to a first-time teacher is don’t quit.
“Push through and find peers who encourage you and find ways to work through burnout and learn your signs of burnout,” Davis said. “Find joy in the small things and focus on the bigger picture of the job.”