McKensie Kappel | Reporter

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As the new school year begins, there are many changes happening at Avon High School, including new jobs in administration. Avon introduced two new staff members, Dr. Aaron Willis and Elizabeth Tharp this year as the Deans of Students. Avon High School created these job due to our school population’s constant influx and growth.

“With having such a large student population, it was very hard for six assistant principals to run meetings, support students, and do their daily jobs while trying to ensure attendance and discipline issues were being handled effectively,” said Willis. 

Willis’ and Tharp’s jobs are to monitor the emotional and physical well-being of the students through looking at the students’ attendance and discipline concerns.

“After noticing when students are making choices that might impact their emotion or physical safety negatively, I intervene and help the student and the student’s family create long-term goals and plans that empower students in achieving their goals,” said Tharp.

Willis has been working in education for many years at different schools around Indiana.

“This is the start of my seventh year in education. This is my first year of officially being a Doctor of Education so that is pretty awesome,” said Willis.

Like Willis, Tharp has been in education for a while, teaching elementary students after she got her degree in elementary education.

Willis said that his favorite thing about Avon High School is that it’s filled with many different individuals and that he loves and appreciates how diverse of a school we are.

 Willis and Tharp both have many different ideas and aims for their first year at Avon.

“A few goals I have for this school year is to create a cohesive method of checking for attendance to ensure we know exactly where all students are and to lower the number of discipline referrals during the school year,” said Willis.

Tharp’s goals are more aimed towards helping students and to encourage them to achieve their goals in life.

Willis and Tharp said they can’t wait see how students will change, what they will achieve this school year, and how they will turn out in the future.

“Dr. Willis and I have the only job in the entire corporation dedicated solely to the well-being of the students, both of us take that very seriously,” said Tharp. “We are here to guide you in making choices that open as many opportunities for your future as we can.”