Every year, the Jordan Association of Elementary School Principals reads through piles of nominations to select a few to receive special recognition. Among this year’s award winners is Bastian Elementary Principal Jessica Stowe, who was named the Distinguished Principal of the Year.

“One of the factors that led us to selecting her was just the sheer number of nominations that she received, and the variety of people from which she received those nominations,” JAESP committee member Garett York said. “It’s obvious that regardless of what part of her community, school or employee group that she’s working with, that she’s having an impact.”

Stowe’s coworkers praised her can-do attitude and focus on maintaining school morale.

Instructional Coach Bobbie Evans said, “Jessica excels in communication, effectively engaging with teachers, students and parents. Her transparent dialogue fosters a collaborative atmosphere, enhancing both morale and student success.”

Stowe said she values relationships so she is diligent about being visible and accessible to students, parents and teachers.

“I’m really proud of the community that we’re building here,” Stowe said. “I love getting to know the kids in the building. We have 740 kids this year, and I work really hard to try to know almost all the kids. I don’t know all their names yet, but I’m getting close.”

She also checks in with teachers frequently, both personally and professionally.

“I deeply care about the teachers in the building and I really value building relationships with them, getting to know each one of them,” Stowe said. “They’re not just teachers, they’re people who have families and they take time out of their personal lives beyond the regular school day planning instruction for kids, thinking about what they’re going to do, responding to parents. And so I want them to know that they’re valued here, and that I know that they’re going above and beyond every single day, and I want them to feel appreciated and feel valued.”

Stowe encourages feedback and input from her teachers and often defers to their expertise for teacher-led professional development training.

“Under her guidance, this team has fostered an environment where every individual feels valued and supported and faculty members consistently commend Bastian’s culture as the most nurturing and positive they have encountered,” Evans said.

Alisha Martinez, school counselor at Bastian Elementary, said Stowe is an approachable leader.

“Her supportive nature fosters a welcoming environment for both staff and students,” she said. “Jessica is always willing to share her expertise, guiding educators with her wealth of knowledge. At the same time, she encourages teachers to experiment and implement their own innovative ideas. Her balanced approach creates a dynamic and collaborative school culture.”

One of Stowe’s standout initiatives is the CARES team which assesses student attendance, behavior data and faculty wellness.

Possibly Stowe’s most impactful change has been the implementation of collaborative conversations as a school-wide instructional strategy to enhance student engagement and academic discourse. Teachers have reported more students are engaging in academic conversations including those who rarely spoke in class before.

And the academic language and vocabulary skills students have learned has translated into improved writing skills as demonstrated by a 4% increase in language arts testing scores and a 6% increase in Acadience Retell proficiency scores.

Other award winners include Principal Mentor of the Year - Ronna Hoffman, Oak Leaf Elementary; National Distinguished Assistant Principal - Kirt Davis, Terra Linda Elementary;  Student Advocate Principal of the Year -Yajaira Martinez, Terra Linda Elementary; Rookie of the Year - Baylee Lansford, Jordan Hills Elementary; Innovator of the Year - Amy Adams, Fox Hollow Elementary; Community Leader of the Year - Buddy Alger, Heartland Elementary; School Improvement Leader of the Year - Keith Klein, Columbia Elementary; Instructional Leader of the Year - Melissa Beck, Jordan Ridge Elementary; and Principal Supervisor of the Year- Becky Gerber, JSD Administrator of Elementary Schools. λ