March 27th, 2024
We are pleased to share the news of leadership transitions within Grand Island Senior High!
Starting this summer, Mrs. Fawn Gernstein will serve as the Assistant Principal at Grand Island Senior High. Mr. Calvin Hubbard, who is currently the GISH Assistant Principal, will be moving into the Principal role next school year, as Mr. Jeff Gilbertson is set to retire.
In her new role, Mrs. Gernstein will focus on supporting instruction and staff at GISH. She has been with the district for 18 years and has been a consistent leader and advocate for students and staff. She will be transitioning from her role as Principal for the Academy of Freshman Exploration, where she has served since 2023. Previously, she served as Principal for the Academy of Business & Communications for four years. Prior to that she served as a GISH English Teacher, 6-12 Instructional Coach, and a 9-12 Literacy Coach.
Continuing with the exciting transitions, Mrs. Augusta Beahm will join the Academy of Freshman Exploration as the MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) Dean of Freshman Students. Her primary focus will be to provide student services support. With the incoming Freshman classes continuing to be large, having Mrs. Beahm serve in a positive supports capacity will help our newest Islanders as they adjust to life in a large high school, navigate relationships, and learn greater self-advocacy.
Previously, Mrs. Beahm served as the Principal of the Academy of Education, Law, and Public Safety since 2021. The recent reevaluation of the GISH Academies combined this academy with other existing academies, allowing Mrs. Beahm to step into this new role. She has also served as an Academic Coach for the GEAR UP program.
Rounding out the leadership changes at the high school is Mr. Jared Bombeck, who will serve as the Principal of the Academy of Freshman Exploration. Mr. Bombeck has taught social studies at Westridge Middle School since 2015. He has also served as the Cougars’ Activities Director since 2022, among multiple coaching roles.
Mr. Bombeck will start this summer, as current Academy Principal Mrs. Gernstein will begin her new role as GISH Assistant Principal.
“We are confident that going forward with this structure for the Assistant Principal and Freshman Academy positions will keep our positive momentum going into the next wave of Academy life and learning,” Hubbard said, “Our priorities of supporting our staff, and our staff supporting our students, will continue to drive us.”
Our Academies model was built with a commitment to taking a deep-dive every five years into evaluating who we are, what we do, how we do it, and why. This school year, the GISH leadership team and district administration evaluated the current academy model, as it aligns with the five-year evaluation process. The leadership changes are reflective of the evaluation process, supporting student needs, and will position the Academies of GISH to continue providing exciting learning opportunities.
Matt Fisher, GIPS Superintendent, affirmed the direction of the Academies at Grand Island Senior High.
“The GISH administrative team in conjunction with district administrators have worked to identify opportunities to get existing GISH administrators into the right positions for promoting student and staff success.” Fisher said, “While losing veteran leadership at the high school will certainly create some challenges, it has also created a chance to look at how best to use the talents of those leaders who will be there in years to come.”
GIPS is excited to see these leaders thrive in their new roles at Grand Island Senior High!
