National Principal Month Feature: Ann Bakker

CAMPUS: Grand Rapids Christain Elementary School — Evergreen Campus

How long have you been working at GRCS?

This is my eighth year at Grand Rapids Christian Schools.

Give a brief overview of your family life, educational, and/or career history.

My husband, Rich, and I live in Grand Rapids.

I am a Grand Rapids Christian School Graduate. I attended Mayfield Christian School, Creston Christian School, and Grand Rapids Christian High School. I attended and graduated from Calvin College. I have a Masters Degree in English Education and a School Administrator Certificate from Path to Leadership.  

My first teaching job was at Unity Christian School in Momence, Illinois. I taught in multi-age classrooms, Grades K-4, for four years.  Then, I taught at Timothy Christian School in Elmhurst, Illinois, for 25 years.  While at Timothy, I taught grades 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, and then grades K-6 Gifted Education.

Now, I've been at Grand Rapids Christian Schools for 8 years and am currently the Academic Program Coordinator for the elementary schools and the principal at the Evergreen Campus.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Two things:

1. Greeting students at the front door each morning!  I love to see their smiling faces each morning as they enter the building.
2. I also enjoy working with teachers.  We have the best teachers!  They love God, and they love their students — and it is evident in every single thing that they do.  

What led you to the desire to become a school principal?

I absolutely love working in schools with teachers and students. Teachers and students consistently impress me with their desire to grow and learn. I've been working in schools for 37 years, and each day I learn something new from them.  

Of all your time at GRCS, what special projects or accomplishments are you most proud of?

This is a difficult question to answer because nothing that we do at school is done in isolation.  Every single project or accomplishment is a team effort.  So, I think that the thing I am most proud of and pleased about is the Team of administrators and teachers at Grand Rapids Christian, who work closely together to provide excellent Christian education for each student.  

What is something you learned about yourself or about teaching and learning during the pandemic and/or Off-Campus Learning?

Last year I learned in new and very real ways the importance of Christian Community.  Parents and teachers and students and administrators all worked together to do their very best.

The importance of celebrations, special events, and traditions also became very clear to me.  We had to modify some of our traditions. Still, we were able to have a fifth-grade graduation chapel via zoom, a family car parade on the last day of school, and other important and celebratory events.

Share your thoughts on this year's school theme: "All Things. Hold Together."

He is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together. Colossians 1:17. I love this theme. It is a daily reminder that God is here... all the time and in every place. It is a tremendous comfort and a delightful challenge each moment of each day.

Which Portrait of a Graduate characteristic do you relate to most within your role, and why? Or, which characteristic do you try and exemplify most, and why?

Disciples of Christ because it is central and essential to each of the other characteristics.