When longtime teacher Keith Prather walks into St. Michael School in Penn Yan at the start of this school year, he’ll also be stepping into a new role. He will still be teaching fifth grade, but this year he also will be the school’s principal.
Prather’s predecessor, Tracy Marchionda, said he was the obvious choice to succeed her after she stepped down from her role over the summer.
“He is a well-respected member of our school, parish and community, so continuing with a familiar face was the best decision for our school,” Marchionda said. “By appointing Keith as principal, we can ensure a very smooth transition that will continue to help St. Michael School excel in the future.”
New principal’s predecessor will help him learn the ropes
Marchionda also will help ensure a smooth transition by staying on at the school in a part-time capacity as Prather learns the ropes while still teaching his class of fifth-graders.
“Because Keith is committed to students and his passion is teaching, I will support him and St. Michael’s behind the scenes with intervention services, curriculum and instruction, as well as the financial aspects of the school,” she said.
However, Prather will be the leader in “all aspects” of the school, Marchionda said. Prather will oversee the school’s day-to-day operations and events, as well as interactions with students and parents, fundraising, student recruitment and enrollment, and facilities management, she explained.
Prather said he is grateful for Marchionda’s willingness to mentor him.
“I can’t do it alone, because I’m going to keep teaching fifth grade. I don’t want to give up fifth grade,” he explained.
New principal’s career in education spans several decades
Prather has been an educator for more than three decades. He was born in Staten Island, but his formative years were spent in Erie, Pa., and Olivet, Mich. When he entered Marietta University in Ohio, Prather planned to study public relations and mass media, but he found he was unable to register for any of those classes as a freshman. On a lark, he enrolled in an education course, and “it just kind of clicked,” he recalled. Prather switched his major to education in his junior year and never looked back.
He graduated from Marietta in 1989, then moved to California and taught in a public elementary school for nine years. He and his wife, Sally, then returned to her hometown of Penn Yan, and he taught in the Dundee Central School District for a year before putting his career on pause for five years to stay home with his children. He began helping out occasionally at St. Michael School when his oldest daughter started kindergarten there, and school officials soon contacted him after their second-grade teacher retired midway through the school year.
“They asked me if I wanted to jump in and take over, so I did, and the rest is history,” Prather recalled.
Prather taught second grade for the rest of that year, then taught third grade the next year. The following year, he moved up to fifth grade, and for much of the last two decades, he has taught either fifth grade or a combined fourth- and fifth-grade class at St. Michael.
“I’ve taught all three of my kids in fourth and fifth grade. It’s been a great fit,” remarked Prather, whose children now are young adults.
Prather recognizes students’ gifts; will use his own to benefit school
Prather learned early on that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reaching students. Throughout his career, he has tried to recognize his students’ unique gifts and talents and teach his lessons in ways that will resonate with his students and allow them to be creative and express themselves in ways that are comfortable for them.
“Every student needs a teacher to appreciate their gifts and talents,” Prather said. “Some of the learning can happen through music, through art, or through something that’s not just a standard page in the book. I try to allow them to use their creativity and be different while still getting the learning concepts down.”
Each spring, Prather takes his fifth-graders on a daylong bike ride along the Keuka Outlet Trail, where they dig for fossils and have time for quiet reading. He also has coached baseball, football, softball, basketball and soccer in Penn Yan and has been involved in several community outreach and fundraising efforts.
Prather believes his connections in the community will prove to be valuable as he transitions into his new role, and he is grateful for the parents, students and faculty members of the St. Michael School community.
“We have great momentum. My job is just to keep everything rolling,” Prather said.
Tags: Catholic Schools, Ontario County News
