Schiola takes lead at Cache La Poudre

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Cache La Poudre Elementary in LaPorte has a new face at the helm. Steve Schiola took over as principal this year, following the retirement of Ron Maulsby from the post.

"I'm looking forward to working with a terrific staff and meeting all the students and their families," Schiola said in an August interview. He also wants to "really help kids learn."

According to the new principal, he's inherited a school with a strong sense of community both within and without, and he'll work hard to continue that tradition. In terms of school achievement, he said, "Writing needs the most attention here, and that will be the emphasis." He plans to work with teachers in choosing the best ideas from many approaches to learning writing skills. He also wants to help classroom teachers use test data to improve instruction in specific skills.

A major strength of Cache La Poudre, Schiola said, is how well the teachers and staff work together. "At this school, they learn together," he said, adding that the group has a lot of fun in the process. He also likes the character education in place at CLPE, and he appreciates the country setting with its large trees and expanses of grass.

Challenges at the school, he noted, include enrollment that has declined over the past several years. This year, however, the numbers are holding steady at 409 students. Schiola would like to see stronger ties to Cache La Poudre Junior High, and he sees the need to keep up with the learning schedule despite a lot of transition and turnover in the student body.

Schiola, a Denver native, holds degrees from Fort Lewis College and Regis University. In his 19th year with Poudre School District, he has taught grades one through five and served as the district's staff development coordinator for seven years. His wife, Julie, is principal at Harris Bilingual, and they have two daughters.

The position at CLPE is Schiola's first post as principal, and he thoroughly enjoyed visiting every class on the first day of school. "I just can't think of a better job," he said. "I'll do anything I can do to support teachers and kids."