Kaplan High has two new leaders

KAPLAN — Loyalty, commitment and sacrifice.
It’s three powerful words that Dr. Janet Guerrini, the new principal at Kaplan High School, has carried with her since her time as a college athlete at Northwestern State University.
“We had a coach who told us that those are the three things you need to be part of a successful team,” Dr. Guerrini said.
An assistant principal at Kaplan High last year, Vermilion Parish Superintendent Jerome Puyau appointed Dr. Guerrini as the school’s principal for this school year.
She has taken to heart the three words she has long carried with her in building a team at Kaplan High, which also includes new assistant principal Ward Courville, a longtime teacher and coach in Vermilion Parish.
“Loyalty, commitment and sacrifice,” Dr. Guerrini said, “you have to have those three things. You have to have those things in order to grow and be successful.
“If you fall short on one, you are not going to be as successful as you possibly can.”
One will not fall short of the three words if each is given proper focus.
“You have to be loyal to your school, faculty and students,” Dr. Guerrini said. “You have to be deeply committed. You are not going to do anything halfway.”
As for sacrifice, Dr. Guerrini will have that on display this Saturday.
“Saturday we are going to be painting the parking lot at school,” Dr. Guerrini said. “In 96 degree heat in the morning, I am going to go out there painting stripes on the parking lot. I have never done it, and I don’t know what kind of lines we are going to end up with.
“We are going to have yellow lines out there.”
Displaying loyalty, commitment and sacrifice has put Dr. Guerrini on the right path to start the school year.
“I am very, very happy,” she said. “The faculty and staff have welcomed me. That is a big part of it, the relationship you have with your faculty and staff.
“There is a degree of trust that is occurring and hopefully continues to occur over the next couple of months.”
While she focuses on the importance of the three words, Dr. Guerrini said it is those who speak the words that are the most important aspect of a school.
“School is about people and the relationships that they develop,” she said.
The goal is to develop all of it into a successful situation.
“I am here to establish a high level of education,” Dr. Guerrini said. “We want to raise scores and communicate to the community that every child has a right to a high level of education.
“That opportunity is going to happen at Kaplan High School.”
Dr. Guerrini said the foundation exists to make that happen.
“We have some exceptional teachers that are very committed,” Dr. Guerrini said. “They are very passionate about not only teaching their curriculum, but continuing to improve. Regardless of the level of the student, they are going to take where that level is and bring it up.
“That is what education is about.”
That is simply what this year will be about at Kaplan High.
“Our job is to educate, and we are going to do that in a structured environment,” Dr. Guerrini said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. I like to have fun, but there are times when you have to get down to business.”
Dr. Guerrini has operated along that line of thinking during her 29 years in education. She spent 14 years at Lafayette High School in roles as a teacher, coach and assistant principal.
“It was about 15 years ago that someone asked me if I ever thought about being an administrator,” Dr. Guerrini said. “I was a coach. It had never crossed my mind. I started thinking about it and it went from there. It just takes somebody to spark you, point you in the right direction.
“Then you go after it.”
That is the hope Dr. Guerrini has for each student at Kaplan High.
“We cannot give up on our kids,” Dr. Guerrini said passionately. “That is the easy thing to do, give up. You have to keep plowing forward.”
It is not always going to be easy.
“You fall on your face sometimes,” Dr. Guerrini said, “but you pick yourself up with the support of those around you.”
Dr. Guerrini is certainly pleased to be in her current surroundings.
“I am very happy to be in Vermilion Parish and at Kaplan High School,” Dr. Guerrini said. “I am honored to be at Kaplan High. It was my dream to be a principal and that dream is coming true. I am in a good school and a good community. I am happy. There are going to be tough days.
“Overall, I am feeling pretty good about where I am right now.”