New Principal Eager to Build on Tradition of Excellence at Nine Mile Elementary

When Alexis Padgham steps into her new role as principal of Nine Mile Elementary and the 9 Mile Family Partnership this fall, she plans to lead with a simple philosophy: be visible, build relationships, and put students first. Padgham, who has spent nearly 13 years in education, officially joins the Nine Mile Falls School District after serving as assistant principal and dean of students at Lidgerwood Elementary School in Spokane.

Before moving into ad- ministration, Padgham said she taught first grade for much of her career after beginning as a reading interventionist in the Central Valley School District. A Spokane native, Padgham said she briefly left the area to work as a flight attendant before returning home in 2008. She said her passion for education began early.

"My first memory of wanting to pursue a career in education was when I was in the first grade at Roosevelt Elementary School," Padgham said. "My teacher, Mrs. McCoy, was so kind and encouraging, and I recall wanting to grow up to be a teacher just like her." That dream came full circle years later when she reunited with her first-grade teacher during her student-teaching assignment at Roosevelt. Padgham said her move into school leadership was inspired by administrators who challenged and supported her throughout her teaching career.

"Watching a greater pool of students thrive because their teachers were valued and supported inspired me to make the leap from classroom to school leadership," she said. Padgham said the opportunity to lead Nine Mile Elementary and the 9 Mile Family Partnership was especially appealing because of the district's reputation. "Whenever I would work with people from Nine Mile at multi-district collaboration, they were so filled with joy and focused on truly what's best for the kids," she said.

Since arriving, Padgham said she is “impressed” by the school community. "Everyone is kind, welcoming, and so passionate about the school and the kids," she said. Rather than introducing sweeping changes, Padgham said she hopes to build on the strong foundation already in place. "I feel very blessed to be stepping into a building where really great things are already happening," she said. "I want to continue to build on that trajectory." She also hopes to expand opportunities for students to give back through community service while continuing to strengthen partnerships between the school and the greater Nine Mile community.

"I want to find opportunities to not only have our community be a part of serving and supporting our students, but have opportunities for our students to serve and support their community," Padgham said. Padgham describes her leadership style as "visible, collaborative, and service oriented." She said, "It is impossible for a school leader to be effective if they spend all of their time in their office.

Whenever needed, you will see me serving lunches, directing bus traffic, on the playground during lunch recess, subbing in classes, and wherever I can be to be the most accessible to my community." She said she also believes building authentic relationships begins with simply being present. "I like to be present in all spaces where I can engage with our students and families in a more informal setting," she said. One way she accomplishes that is by learning every student's name. "I always make it my goal to memorize the names of every student in my building as soon as possible," Padgham said. "I love learning things like how their baseball games went over the weekend, what they did during their visit with grandma, or how their math test went."

Creating a welcoming environment is one of her highest priorities. "I hope that students will say that they felt loved and that they belonged every single time they walked through our doors," she said. "I hope that staff will say that they felt supported, valued, and recognized. I hope families will say that they felt like a vital part of their child's educational team." Padgham said she also places a strong emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL), elaborating that skills such as communication, emotional regulation, problem-solving, and self-advocacy are just as important as academics during the elementary years.

"SEL is just as essential as academic learning in elementary school," she said. She plans to maintain regular communication through newsletters, volunteer opportunities, and family-engagement events. "I have a completely open-door policy, so families are always welcome to stop by, to chat at pick-up or dropoff," she said. "I'm also planning a 'Meet the Principal' gathering as we get closer to the start of the school year." Padgham will oversee both Nine Mile Elementary and the 9 Mile Family Partnership, the district's homeschool cooperative program.

While the instructional models differ – with classroom teachers leading instruction at the elementary school and parents serving as primary educators in the homeschool partnership – she said her role remains the same in both settings: supporting students, staff, and families while ensuring each program operates effectively.

Outside of school, Padgham said she enjoys attending musical theater productions, cheering on the Spokane Indians, spending time at the lake with her family, and curling up with a mystery novel, a cup of coffee, and her cat during the winter months. As she prepares for the upcoming school year, Padgham has a simple message for students. "Remember that we are all here to support you," she said.

"Spend some time during the remainder of the summer thinking about one thing you want to challenge yourself with this year. We grow the most when we aren't afraid to take risks and make mistakes in our learning."