Kingsland School principal Meloni Puishes helps student Destiny Bradbury with a class project. The Picayune readers voted Puishes the Best School Administrator in the Llano area in the annual Locals Love Us awards. Staff photo by Daniel Clifton
KINGSLAND — Though it’s her first year as Kingsland School principal, Meloni Puishes has already created a positive, yet challenging, atmosphere, one in which students and teachers feel supported as well as loved.
As a class of kindergartners was heading down the hall for lunch, sixth-grade teacher Jesse Spruiell took a knee and gave hugs to a number of the students, calling them each by their name.
It’s a hallmark of the campus, which is celebrating its first year as well.
When Puishes learned The Picayune readers and KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune listeners selected her as the Best School Administrator in the Llano area in Locals Love Us awards, the principal took it as a sign she and the campus are on the right path.
“What this means to me and the school is that we’ve made an impact in the community,” Puishes said. “They believe in us and what we’re doing.”
The Kingsland School opened last fall as an open-enrollment charter school. There is no tuition as it is state-funded. It is part of the Orenda Charter School system.
The campus currently has about 90 students, and Puishes said all them have re-enrolled for next year. Along with those students, she said about 60 new students have registered for the 2017-18 academic year.
“That’s pretty exciting,” Puishes added. “We’re also opening up seventh grade next year.”
Enrollment for next year continues through Tuesday, Feb. 28. Go to kingslandschooltx.org for more information or an enrollment form.
Getting the Locals Love Us award, Puishes said, just reinforces that the community is supporting Kingsland School.
“The fact this is our first year and the community honored us with this, well, I think that means they are supporting us and know that we’re committed to their children,” she added.
daniel@thepicayune.com
