Often seen during brunch and lunch last year, new Assistant Principal James Lubbe can be spotted cruising in his golf cart, with a warm smile on his face. An active participant as well as supervisor of on-campus student activities, he was formerly known as the dean of students. After six years of working in this position at the district, Lubbe will kick off the 2014-2015 school year as assistant principal.
Over the years, Lubbe has built a strong rapport with students, accompanying the Small Learning Community and clubs such as Model United Nations (MUN) on field trips. His destinations have ranged from Camp Everytown to Oaxaca, Mexico. The gift of watching freshman grow into seniors has allowed him kept a strong presence entrenched within the student body, he explained.
Although being Dean allowed Lubbe to comfortably connect with students outside of the classroom, he will now be taking on a more curriculum-focused role as Assistant Principal. Interacting with students in a classroom environment will give Lubbe an encompassing perspective of the Gunn environment as a whole.“I will get to see a hands-on learning experience,” Lubbe said.
This year, his responsibilities have heightened. Lubbe will handle much of the paperwork concerning school facilities, including those of the athletic and technology departments, as well as the future construction on the Student Activities Center (SAC). Enhancing the Gunn campus is a lot of work, but he is determined to collaborate with others to provide a fruitful set of opportunities for the student body. Lubbe plans on sustaining the innovative environment while bringing in new technology.
Throughout his many years of experience, Lubbe has seen the hospitable welcoming environment of Gunn prosper and develop. He still holds the firm belief that Gunn needs to continue this process, and further its amiable nature. He believes that ROCK, not in our schools week, and camp everytown promote this shared feeling of acceptance, but its not good enough. “This is something we need to continue doing,” Lubbe said.
Overall Lubbe is well equipped for his new role, and determined to showcase his years of experience to the student body. Working together with new staff, he will strive to make Gunn a better place. “It is good to look at the things we’ve done and also the things we want to improve on further down the road,” Lubbe said. Despite the numerous duties of his new job, he will still make an effort to stay in touch with students around campus. One event he particularly looks forward to is Homecoming Week’s Night Rally. “Mr. J [Assistant Principal Tom Jacoubowsky] and I have something planned for you guys,” Lubbe said.
-Written by Arjun Sahdev
