Letter from Principal Nicklous
August 20, 2021
Dear Elton Gregory Families -
As I begin my new role as principal, I want to start by sharing how excited I am to join the Elton Gregory Middle School team and community! I look forward to getting to know your child along with all of you. This will be my 27th year in education. I spent 17 years in the classroom teaching 5th grade and at the middle school level in Sherwood and Sisters. After spending the last nine years as Tumalo Community School principal, I learned the importance of a strong school community. I hope all of you feel the same way about Elton Gregory Middle School. I will work tirelessly to make EGMS a place you are proud to send your child and trust our staff will give their best each and every day.
I want to commend all of you as parents and guardians for doing your best during the last 18 months! We were all forced to take on roles that were new, difficult and often frustrating. Most of our teachers weren’t trained on how to provide education “virtually” and most of you weren’t trained on how to teach your children how to divide fractions, solve algebra problems, find inferences in the text or develop an essay. I can’t thank you enough for the hard work and commitment you made to support your children's education! During this time we were reminded of what we knew; most students learn best from in-person instruction in front of their teachers. Although everything isn’t back to “normal,” I’m pleased that students will be returning to EGMS this fall and will be together with their classmates and teachers.
The start of the year for students is an exciting time as 8th graders take on their last year of middle school and begin final preparations for high school. 7th graders find their groove and can have a large impact on our school culture. In addition, we welcome a new group of 6th graders into the building where they learn to come together and become Huskies! One thing I love about middle school students is seeing them grow into young adults as they navigate through a world with many different perspectives and viewpoints. As adults we know there will be some “bumps” as over 700 students return to the building and face many academic and social challenges. I’m excited to support and witness their academic, social and behavioral growth. They will need to give consistent effort and demonstrate perseverance while receiving encouragement from those around them. Our staff will be some of their fiercest supporters. Our students have faced a scenario early in their life that none of us could have imagined, so I’m hoping our entire Husky community can come together to support, encourage and believe in our Huskies!
I’m honored to be part of the Husky community and lead EGMS through these challenging times. On behalf of the entire EGMS staff, I want you to know we will all do our best to encourage, support, challenge, keep safe and, most importantly, educate your children. We look forward to creating a partnership with you and your family that allows your child to grow and find incredible success here at Elton Gregory Middle School!
Justin Nicklous
Principal, Elton Gregory Middle School
Go Huskies!