Janice Jones, former Assistant Principal of West Valley High School, was promoted to Principal on July 1, 2016. She replaced Dr. Alex Ballard who was promoted to Director of Secondary Education at the District Office.
Mrs. Jones is beginning her 21st year in education and 15th year at West Valley High School. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Single Subject Teaching Credentials. She received her Master’s in Teaching and Reading Specialist Credentials from National University. She is currently enrolled in the Doctoral program at Brandman University for Organizational Leadership, which she plans to finish in December.
Mrs. Jones was the first person in her family to go to college. Her parents taught her the value of a good work ethic and the benefits that come from it. She instilled the importance of education to her two children, both of which are graduates of West Valley High School.
Mrs. Jones expressed her excitement as the new leader of West Valley. She explained a high school is like a small city, where everyone needs to feel they have a place. She wants every student to feel welcome and a part of its community. One of her goals as Principal is to encourage students to be involved in their school, not just academics but in athletics and extra-curricular activities as well. She plans to be visible on campus so she can make connections with staff and students alike. She also hopes to continue to build an engaging climate for her students and staff, as well as providing support for the entire school community.
This year, staff will focus on expanding programs for students. This is the second full year of the Building Assets and Reducing Risks (BARR) program at West Valley. This program focuses on helping freshman succeed. Staff will continue to encourage students to take an Advanced Placement (AP) course. This year students have open access to enroll through the district’s new online re-registration. Staff will also focus on utilizing AVID strategies across the curriculum to help support a college and career ready student body.
There are a number of opportunities for students to succeed at West Valley, said Principal Jones. West Valley offers a variety of Career and Technical Education pathways to prepare students for the workforce. Project Lead the Way continues to grow as a rigorous STEM program, and extra-curricular programs such as sports and fine arts add additional opportunity for meaningful school involvement. As a leader, Mrs. Jones’ objective is to align with the district’s goal to ensure students are graduating college and career ready.
She said, “I trusted Hemet Unified with my own two children from Kindergarten through high school and this is my opportunity to give back to a district that has served me and my family so well.”
Congratulations to Janice Jones, the newest leader of West Valley High School!