Jones returns to FHS as principal

Chloe Shaver

Village News Intern

As Fallbrook High School transitions into a new school year, the administration team is going through many changes. From new teachers, to new positions, to a new principal, the campus is undergoing a new era of change. Taking over for former principal Dr. Narciso Iglesias, Jones is ready for this next challenge.

This year, Jones is working toward rebuilding the school community. After a year of distance learning, Jones believes students lost the connections to each other that form during class, lunch, pep rallies, sports and school events.

"What's most important to me is that we've had [a] year without seeing each other," Jones said. "Coming back as one group together on campus and fostering those relationships is my main goal."

This year, the main goal of the administration team is to bring students and teachers together and reacclimate to being a community again. Plans for pep rallies, school dances, sports games, and other activities are in the works to encourage students to come together and participate in these school traditions.

Initially the AP Language and Composition teacher, in 2019 she became an assistant principal. Jones began as an assistant principal when she saw opportunities to help students in a different way. In 2019, Jones was able to lead summer school administration that year and realized she would be able to help students more when working with a larger team. Many students and parents, however, remain somewhat wary. With new principals almost every year, and almost an entirely new administration team, our community is justified in having worries about consistency and longevity. Jones, however, has plans to stay. "I've been at this school for over a decade," she assures. "I already have a relationship with everyone, and I've enjoyed my time here."

Parents and community members may be concerned over learning loss that happened during virtual learning. "We've actually been able to improve many of our scores in the spring [from previous years]," Jones says. "Just based on the initial information I've been given, we've not lost as many skills as we think we have." Although exact numbers weren't out at the time of this interview, Jones was able to say that scores increased above what was normally expected.

With virtual learning, there are more students than ever before who haven't experienced Fallbrook traditions. The class of 2022 is the only grade that has had a full year of regular high school; the class of 2023 has had just over a semester. With almost all students new to Fallbrook High, Jones says she is open to changing Fallbrook traditions. "I want to keep what brings us together, but now is the time to reflect on what we should keep and what we don't need anymore."

As the new FHS principal, Jones is introducing new policies, keeping old ones, and reinventing campus to accommodate for the needs of a new school year. Despite changes, Fallbrook High is continuing to welcome and support students with any issues, problems or concerns.