New elementary principal joins PAS


Jennifer Moravetz was introduced as the new Pipestone Area Schools (PAS) elementary principal during the Monday, July 25 school board meeting when her contract was approved by the school board.

She began her work at the school a few weeks ago and has been getting acquainted with the building, getting to know staff, working on the schedule for the upcoming school year, reviewing handbooks and preparing for the back to school open house.

Moravetz said the back to school open house for elementary students will be a little bit different this year. It is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 31. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. parents can sign up for one on one conferences like in the past. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. there will be a period during which parents can come and go as they please.

“That provides parents with a little bit more flexibility on what works for them,” Moravetz said.

She’s also been doing LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training, which is a new training program the school board approved during its July 25 meeting. The training will be provided to teachers during staff development time on Wednesday afternoons.

This is Moravetz’s first job as a principal. She previously spent 17 years at Deubrook Area Schools in Toronto, S.D. teaching preschool and fifth grade, serving as the preschool through sixth grade technology teacher, and working in the library, with the Title program and in special education.

“I love kids,” she said. “I love education. I know the importance of education and getting a good education, and I also know the importance of creating a positive school climate and culture.”

PAS made improving the climate and culture of the school district a priority in 2019 as part of its strategic planning process. Moravetz said she worked hard to create a positive climate and culture in her classroom.

“When you see a positive school climate and culture, you see how much more kids are able to thrive and I really thought it was important to make sure that goes across the whole school; not just my classroom,” Moravetz said.

That first lead her to an interest in teaching future teachers at South Dakota State University (SDSU). She was a clinical supervisor with SDSU for a year working with student teachers, while also teaching at Deubrook Area Schools. She said she enjoyed the job, but missed the children. She decided that the best way for her to have an impact on teachers and students was to be a principal.

“I can not only empower our teachers, making sure that they feel valued, loved, that they’re part of a team and have that sense of belonging,” Moravetz said. “I’m also doing that for kids.”

She said that if kids feel valued, loved and safe at school they will want to be there and be more able to learn, and if teachers feel those things they will be better teachers.

Moravetz said that as she neared completion of her education administration program she started looking at schools in the area with open principal positions. A friend mentioned the open elementary principal position at PAS and she did some research, checked out the school district’s website and Facebook page and looked at the distance from her home to the school.

“What I was seeing was something that I was very interested in,” Moravetz said. “It was something that I thought was a good fit for me.”

As principal, she said her first and foremost priority is building relationships with teachers, students, families and community members, and creating a positive school climate and culture.

“Teachers need to know that I’m there, that I’m going to support them, that I have their back, and kids need to know that too, so that if there ever is an issue they know that they can count on me,” she said. “I’m going to be there to support them, walk them through whatever it might be and make it a growing moment.”

Moravetz said her door is always open and that she loves talking to people and getting new ideas and feedback.
“If anybody ever wants to come in and visit with me I welcome the conversations,” she said.

Moravetz lives east of White, S.D. and west of Hendricks, Minn. about two miles into South Dakota on a farm. She and her husband, Kevin, have three children, two girls and one boy, ranging in age from 15 to 20. Kevin works for Larson Manufacturing in Brookings and farms. She said they have cattle and hay ground.

Moravetz was given a one year contract that began July 1 and will earn $90,000.