Sam Richings-Germain will be moving on from her seven years stint as principal of Carbondale Community School (CCS) in July as she prepares to embark on her next chapter as the director of Marble Charter School (MCS). Michael Hayes, the executive director of Compass for Lifelong Discovery (the nonprofit that supports CCS), said that while CCS is sad to see Richings-Germain go, the school’s community is excited to see her leadership take on a new form at the apex of the Crystal Valley.
“Sam is a skilled and dedicated school leader who has shown great commitment to our students, families and staff,” stated Hayes. “MCS will do very well with her leadership.”
Richings-Germain said applying to the role was prompted by curiosity. She looks forward to applying what she’s learned as principal at CCS within the MCS community.
“I always thought it was very cool that the museum is located in the school building … I have a lot of interest in history and prehistory,” Richings-Germain, who has a master’s degree in anthropology and archaeology, shared. “That’s a part of my life that I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about.”
Richings-Germain has lived in the area for about nine years now. She moved from Fort Collins where she had taught anthropology and archaeology at Front Range Community College before becoming an elementary school teacher. She initially came to the Roaring Fork Valley for an assistant principal position at Crystal River Elementary School.
While she’s learned a lot about leadership within smaller school settings, such as at CCS, she first wants to see the way things work at MCS before implementing any changes as its new director.
Blythe Chapman-Tardie, MCS board secretary and parent of an attending second grader, and Hawkins Siemon, board president, explained that there was an ample amount of high-quality candidates who applied for the director opening, but Richings-Germain stood apart from the others.
“I think everyone on the hiring committee was in consensus. We’re lucky that we had a really solid leader apply for this position with … a lot of school administrative experience [and] who happens to live in Marble,” Chapman-Tardie said. “We got really lucky and we feel blessed to have Sam be the leader of MCS and join the family.”
Richings-Germain said that MCS’ structure of multi-grade learning and integrated study units with a strong emphasis on outdoor education are aspects she’s eager to dig into. The Celebrate the Crystal school event coming up for fourth and fifth grade students demonstrates this type of learning fusion. The event, sponsored by Pitkin County Healthy Rivers, will blend music, art and science for a day of outdoor learning.
“This to me is an awesome example of how to use the asset of community to get kids doing authentic and meaningful learning,” stated Richings-Germain.
Along with continuing to meet state standards for learning, Richings-Germain hopes to explore ways to make instruction at MCS fluid, efficient and a positive experience for educators and students alike.
“I love going to school every day,” she happily stated. “I love being with the kids every day and I look forward to supporting the teachers and students so they learn and like school.”
“She has the ability to connect … with kids in an amazing way,” concluded Siemon, noting that MCS is often described as the heart of Marble.
Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year is now open at MCS. Interested families should contact the school for an enrollment packet and to schedule a tour.