Jaynes takes over as principal at East
CONNELLSVILLE – Councilman Bruce Jaynes is probably best known for his duties on council. However, serving the city of Connellsville is not his only job.
Jaynes, a 1985 graduate of the Connellsville Area School District and a 1989 graduate of Slippery Rock University, is also an educator. An educator who was recently promoted from assistant principal at Junior High West to principal at Junior High East.
Jaynes taught alternative education in the Connellsville Area School District prior to being named assistant principal at Junior High West. He said he also had to leave the Fay-West area to get a job after college in order to return to his hometown of Connellsville.
“After college, I taught health and physical education for eight years in Ebensburg at Center Cambria High School and Middle School,” said Jaynes. “It was the only place I could find a job at that time and I actually had to work a second job just to get back here.”
Jaynes, who is married to the former Angie Cook, is the father of two children, 8-year-old Mason and 10-year-old Madeline. He is the son of Ken and Janice Jaynes of Connellsville.
At 35, Jaynes said he is happy with his experiences in life to this point and said he is thankful that everything has worked out for him and his family.
“I’m excited about my new job and I’m ready to take on the responsibilities of this new position,” said Jaynes. “I really don’t think that anyone knew that former principal Mr. (Jess) King was looking for another position. I know I was surprised when the position opened up.”
Jaynes said he looks at his new job as a “step forward or a step up” on a journey.
“I went back to school at California University of Pennsylvania in 1996-1997 to work on my principal’s papers and finished there in 1999,” said Jaynes. “What I’d like to do is go back to school in about two years and work on my superintendent’s papers.”
Jaynes said his kids are at such a great age right now that it’s hard for him to take the time to continue his education.
“The kids are involved in a lot of outside activities right now and quite frankly it’s great fun for my wife and I to be able to be involved in their activities and to simply watch them grow,” he said.
“That’s why I think I’ll wait a couple of years before going back to school.”
Jaynes said since he took over as principal in the middle of the year he doesn’t have any real plans to change anything at this time.”
“I don’t think the middle of the year is the time to change anyone’s routine,” said Jaynes. “If I do decide that changes need to be made, I will probably make them during the summer so that when the teachers and students come back they will be prepared for the changes.”
Jaynes said, however, if a “real conflict” should arise he will deal with it at the time.
“As soon as I was assigned to the school, I met with the teaching staff and with the students and put my philosophy and expectations out there,” said Jaynes. “It was my own personal way of saying this is who I am, this is where I want to go, this is what I’ll ask of you and this is what you’ll get from me if you do that.”
Jaynes considers communication a key element in doing a good job in addition to attendance and truancy.
“We have about 840 students and 70 teachers at this school, so as you can see it’s a big school,” said Jaynes. “I intend to work with the truant officer and all the participating parties like the school police and teachers in an effort to try and cut down on absenteeism.”
Another thing Jaynes wants to do is to really get to know the staff, which he admits, may take awhile.
“Leaving Junior High West was like leaving a Mom and Pop store and coming to a conglomerate,” said Jaynes. “There are so many more people here. I do have to say, however, that it’s nice coming back here because I went to school here.”
Jaynes said he remembers each hallway, bathroom, multipurpose room and the cafeteria.
He also said he remembers many of the parents of his now students.
“I look at the last names of some of these kids and I automatically recognize the names,” he said. “It’s going to be nice to touch base with some of these people again because we’ve lost track of each other.”
Jaynes said he expects to run into old friends at school activities and functions such as concerts.
“All in all, I have to say I think this move was a good thing for me,” said Jaynes. “I have a positive outlook about the job and about the kids.”
Jaynes said his philosophy on education is threefold.
“The first is follow the Golden Rule,” he said. “I want my students to treat people how they want to be treated.
“The second is to communicate with their teachers. If they don’t understand something, they should ask. And the third is no matter what anyone tells them, they are here to learn and to get an education.”
Jaynes said his philosophy is not something that he simply recites, it’s something he lives by.