Principal comes home to serve school he attended

By Cari Slater

Special to the Alpine Mountaineer

After most recently serving as assistant principal of Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate School, Terry Gomes was approved as the school’s principal at the Sept. 14, 2023, meeting of the Rim of the World Unified School District’s board of trustees.

His career in education started and has blossomed all within the Rim of the World Unified School District (ROWUSD). Gomes began working in the ROWUSD in 2014 as a special education intern while attaining his Education Specialist teaching credential. He worked in high school special education from 2013 through 2015.

Gomes’ next step in the district was working as a speech pathology itinerant for grades TK-12 for four years. He then transitioned to the position of resource specialist at Valley of Enchantment Elementary School. He found himself at MPH when he took the assistant principal position under the mentorship of then principal, Jennifer Whiteside.

Gomes’ path through the ROWUSD kept progressing and he felt very supported by mentors and colleagues within the district.

“I kept feeling like I had more to offer,” said Gomes.

So, he continued moving forward.

Gomes assumed an interim principal role when Whiteside transitioned to a position within the district office. He held the interim principal role as he applied for the principal position, went through the application and selection process, and then was named the new principal at MPH in September 2023.

Gomes is feeling very positive with the direction MPH is heading.

“The transition has been a learning experience. I put in a lot of work and have had a lot of support,” said Gomes.

He is very grateful for the support and confidence of the previous principal. “Jennifer Whiteside gave me many of the tools I use today,” said Gomes.

His focus this year is “trying to optimize student achievement and prepare students for their next year,” said Gomes.

With the way Gomes talks about students, one can tell that he truly cares about their holistic well-being.

“It’s our job to teach them and keep them emotionally, bodily and academically well,” he said.

Gomes sees his role as supporting MPH students in a multi-faceted manner.

“I take great pride in making sure that our students get an opportunity to be fed every day, play every day, build healthy relationships and get a top-notch physical and academic education, as well as have their emotional needs met,” said Gomes.

This school year MPH experienced a lot of turnover and hired nine new teachers for the 2023-24 school year. Gomes said all of the new teachers are doing great and MPH is lucky to have them.

He is excited about “the direction that the school is currently moving forward with and working with all of the teachers – we have a great group of dynamic teachers, including veteran and new teachers,” said Gomes.

A unique challenge at MPH is that all of the community elementary school children converge into one school. It is definitely a transition with old friends coming together and students meeting new-to-them faces all at once. Gomes pointed out that these children are the same students from their respective elementary schools. Nothing about their demographics has changed, but they all come together at MPH.

Gomes is intentional about being out and about on campus when students arrive for the day and during transitional times.

“I am accessible. I’m not in my office,” said Gomes.

He feels that he and his staff have an important role to play in the lives of their students.

“I like to build them up and make sure they feel good about themselves,” said Gomes.

Although Gomes has been steadily progressing in positions around the school district, he finally feels at home in his new role.

“This is the place for me. As long as they will have me, I’ll be here,” he said.

Like some of the other district principals, Gomes also grew up in the mountain communities and attended MPH as a student. His connection to the school adds a layer of nostalgia and commitment to his students, as he was once in their shoes.

Gomes remembers a highlight of his experience as a student at MPH being the physical education awards, which are still on display at the school. In addition to carrying on some of the programs that have historically worked well for students, Gomes is excited about adding new extended learning programs to the curriculum.

MPH has added drama as an elective this year along with their other extracurricular classes: art, music, music history, yearbook, AVID and sports and fitness. These offerings round out the academic coursework at the school. MPH also offers honors math and English classes.

Gomes feels that offering a well-rounded education meets the varied needs of students and allows each child the opportunity to find something they enjoy and that makes them feel successful.

Gomes’ advice for his students is something he practices himself.

“Practice the ability to build yourself up and others around you – that will lead you to success,” said Gomes.