2006.06.28: June 28, 2006: Headlines: COS - Central African Republic: Elementary Education: The Santa Fe New Mexican: Central African Republic RPCV Yann Lussiez is new principal at El Dorado Elementary school
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2006.06.28: June 28, 2006: Headlines: COS - Central African Republic: Elementary Education: The Santa Fe New Mexican: Central African Republic RPCV Yann Lussiez is new principal at El Dorado Elementary school
Central African Republic RPCV Yann Lussiez is new principal at El Dorado Elementary school
After college, he was accepted to the Peace Corps. He went to the Central African Republic to promote AIDS awareness by helping to establish the first counseling center in the country and creating a video in local languages rather than French. "We didn't have a lot of volunteers coming in to get tested for HIV," he said. "We had to teach people what it was all about, so we went from village to village with a TV and a VCR. I created a video in the local language."
Central African Republic RPCV Yann Lussiez is new principal at El Dorado Elementary school
NEW PRINCIPAL LEADS A MULTIFACETED LIFE
Jun 28, 2006
The Santa Fe New Mexican
El Dorado Elementary school will be getting a new principal who has experience in many capacities, from educating people in the Central African Republic about AIDS to teaching art to students in Venezuela at El Colegio Internacional Puerto La Cruz.
Yann Lussiez will be taking over Susan Lumley's position at the school. After being involved in formal education for seven years, Lussiez became involved in administration in 2004 when he became assistant principal at Alameda Middle School.
"I'm excited," Lussiez said about his first principal position. "It's a great school, so it should be a lot of fun."
He made the decision to transfer after being unable to move into the principal's position at Alameda Middle School for lack of experience.
"Sherry Coopwood retired and I was unable to move into her position," Lussiez said. "Being an assistant principal is gaining experience, and I felt like I was ready. El Dorado was an opportunity, so I took it."
Among the attributes he brings to El Dorado Elementary is his background in multiculturalism, Lussiez said.
"I have a lot of background in terms of multiculturalism, different learning styles and perceptions," he said. "I think El Dorado has a pretty diverse population, so I think that will be pretty helpful, and I have actually taught every grade level."
Lussiez has a bachelor's degree in media communications with an emphasis in photography and French literature from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. He has a master's degree from The University of New Mexico and is enrolled in the doctoral program in educational leadership at UNM.
After working with the Intermountain Youth Center, a community- based home-care center in Santa Fe, he kicked off his education career in 1997 doing an internship at Sweeney Elementary for his master's program at UNM. This is also where Lussiez met his wife, Jennifer.
"She worked across the hall," he said. The couple wed two years later and now reside in Santa Fe. They have two daughters -- Sofia, 4, and Elaina, 2.
Lussiez taught seventh and eight grade Opportunity Team, a remediation program for at-risk children, from 1998 to 1999.
From there, he and his wife both taught at El Colegio Internacional Puerto La Cruz in Venezuela. He taught art to students from kindergarten to 12th grade until 2001.
He taught art and English at a middle school in Oregon for a year before returning to New Mexico to teach French at Los Alamos High School from 2002 to 2004.
Alameda Middle School was his next stop in 2004.
Lussiez, born in Lille, France, grew up in Golden, Colo. When he was a sophomore in high school, his family relocated to St. Louis. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Missouri for two years before transferring to Webster University, where he graduated.
After college, he was accepted to the Peace Corps. He went to the Central African Republic to promote AIDS awareness by helping to establish the first counseling center in the country and creating a video in local languages rather than French.
"We didn't have a lot of volunteers coming in to get tested for HIV," he said. "We had to teach people what it was all about, so we went from village to village with a TV and a VCR. I created a video in the local language."
He also came up with innovative ways for people to learn about HIV and AIDS.
"We had a competition for the schools," he said. "Kids created AIDS posters that were put up all over the hospitals and the schools."
His video was distributed throughout the country to assist in HIV and AIDS awareness.
Lussiez did a great deal of photography in Africa and exhibited his work in 1999 at Plan B Evolving Arts in Santa Fe.
He extended his Peace Corps experience for a third year, after which he worked with the World Wildlife Fund in the rain forest in Dzanga-Sangha National Park, in the southern part of the Central African Republic, to help educate people about elephant protection.
"The park was new," said Lussiez. "Previously people had been hunters."
He had to explain why they couldn't kill the elephants anymore, and the natives were not happy.
"The villagers were upset that they couldn't kill the elephants that were getting into their fields," said Lussiez. "They went on a little rampage and tore up a bunch of the World Wildlife Fund cars and sank one of their boats, so they asked me to come down and do a video on elephant protection."
He created videos about nearly 50 forest elephants that were all gathering in a massive clearing in the park. He also helped write brochures and teach English to the guards at the park.
After he extended his Peace Corps experience for a fourth year, Lussiez worked as an assistant to elephant researcher Andrea Turkalo with the Wildlife Conservation Society.
"Then the country went to civil war, and we all got evacuated," said Lussiez. He then returned to Santa Fe. "New Mexico had that cultural aspect that I needed."
His volunteer experience and fluency in three languages make Lussiez a great resource for students and teachers alike.
"There's a lot more responsibility," he said. "You don't just have the student's best interest, but the parent's best interest and the teacher's best interest.
"I find it rewarding. At least as an assistant I did, and I think as a principal I'll find it even more so."
Lussiez anticipates that discipline will be less of an issue at the elementary level.
"I'm looking forward to being more of an instructional leader, working with teachers and supporting them," he said. "And a lot more hugs."
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Story Source: The Santa Fe New Mexican
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Central African Republic; Elementary Education
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