After years of dedication and service to the Hamburg Community School District, dating back to 1993, Hamburg School Principal Jackie Barrett is calling it a career.
Mrs. Barrett began her teaching career at Hamburg in 1993 as a sixth-grade teacher and continued in that job for 10 years before moving up to be the special education teacher for seventh through 12th grade. After 14 years in that role, Mrs. Barrett taught sixth grade for a year. In 2016, she became an instructional coach and was in that role until 2021 when she moved to the role of principal.
Looking back, Mrs. Barrett said the biggest milestone of her career was getting to be a part of establishing the Hamburg Charter High School.
“My hope for the district is that they continue to grow and that people understand that establishing this type of high school is a process that takes time,” Mrs. Barrett said. “They will constantly be making changes until it runs like a well-oiled machine.”
As she moves to retirement, Barrett will take many fond memories with her.
“I have loved working for the Hamburg Community School District,” said Mrs. Barrett. “It is truly a family-like atmosphere. When someone needs a hand, there are three or four who step up and offer to help.
“It has been fun watching the future generations as they step up to lead. It has been a joy to see the children of my former students go down the halls as students. I will miss seeing their faces and wish them the best of luck as they continue down the road of life,” Barrett said.
Hamburg has always been a part of Mrs. Barrett’s life, even before she was a teacher. She said she moved to Hamburg at the age of 10 and has spent the majority of her life there.
She was only away from Hamburg for short stints in Council Bluffs and New Orleans, but those experiences just convinced her that small town life was for her.
As for retirement plans, Mrs. Barrett said she wants to spend more time with her grandchildren. She has 20 grandchildren and 10 of them live in Utah. She would like to get out there a little more often and attend their activities. She also has a plan to visit all 50 of the United States, read books that she wants to read for fun, complete some scrapbooking books, and just enjoy life.
Article information submitted by Teresa Crecelius.
