New Nimitz principal greets students, parents at Saturday ‘cafecito’

Nimitz Elementary School hosted “Cafecito with the Principal” on Saturday morning to give students and their parents a chance to meet the new school principal, Lynda Guzman.

“It’s ‘Coffee with the Principal,’ but I like to call it ‘Cafectio’,” said Guzman, who has a background in bilingual education and an eye for community engagement.

Guzman joins Kerrville Independent School District from Northside ISD in San Antonio, where she spent 17 years of her career.

During her 23 years as an educator, she has worked as an elementary school teacher, academic dean and associate principal. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as principal and ESL certifications.

Guzman’s plans for the new school year at Nimitz are driven by a dedication to student and teacher support based on collaboration, she said.

“Your first year, you want to feel everything out, and I see the eagerness and all of the initiative that these teachers take,” she said.

Nimitz already has educational frameworks such as Professional Learning Communities and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in place to help staff and faculty work together for the well-being and academic improvement of students as a whole.

PSLs help to foster collaboration between educators to improve their knowledge and skills, which in turn helps to develop strong leadership to improve educational aspirations of students.

PBISs help to create inclusive environments and a foundational social culture that improves emotional, behavioral and academic outcomes for students.

“I’m very familiar with those structures, so I feel like I jumped in as everyone was already running, and I’ve started running with them,” she said. “My first priority is always the students when I make decisions, and that’s something I make sure to tell the teachers too. Everything that we do is about the students.”

Guzman replaces former principal Julie Johnson, who transitioned into the position of director of elementary education for the Kerrville Independent School District earlier this year.

More community inspired events like “Cafecito with the Principal” are expected to be scheduled during the Nimitz school year.

This article was originally published in the Aug. 6, 2024 edition of The Kerrville Daily Times.