Jul 4, 2013 3 min read

Avella Area School Board appointed Cyril Walther to the position of elementary school principal during a special meeting Tuesday. A longtime teacher and administrator in Washington School District and former member of the Avella board, Walther will take over duties in the elementary center July 31.

“Quite honestly, I was planning on retiring from Washington School District,” Walther said. “They treated me well, and I enjoyed all of those years. But this was an opportunity in my home district, where I reside to use the skills that I’ve learned and apply them here with the hope of continuing to increase academic achievement.”

Walther has spent the past 18 years as an employee of Washington School District, most recently as assistant to the superintendent during the 2012-13 academic year. Before that, he was the principal at the middle school for six years, taught high school social studies for 11 years and coached rifle, softball and girls volleyball teams during that tenure.

Walther is an Avella resident and has three children in the district, two of whom will be students in the elementary center next year. He said a major factor in the move was the opportunity to spend more time with his family. Walther served one term on the Avella board, until 2011, after being elected through write-in votes in 2007.

“All of us were very, very happy to have someone as confident and experienced as Cyril,” said Avella Superintendent Janell Logue-Belden. “We’re also thrilled that we have someone that lives in the district and is a stakeholder in what happens here.”

Logue-Belden said in addition to running the elementary building, Walther would be in charge of implementing federal programming, the district’s Title I compliance and would have a critical role in updating the district’s elementary curriculum.

Walther’s appointment also coincides with the district’s rollout of a new electronic learning initiative in which students will use Google Chromebook computers to help facilitate learning and collaboration.

After working as a central administrator, Walther said he looks forward to once again having one-on-one interactions with students.

“One of the things I missed was the connection with the students,” Walther said. “To be principal again gives me the opportunity to continue to build relationships with students and have a direct impact on their achievements.”

Walther will replace former elementary principal Joel Kirsch, who resigned June 5 and accepted a position in Bethlehem-Center School District.

The school board also approved other personnel moves during the meeting. Kristin Jakiel was approved as a full-time social studies teacher, and Joelle Marie Yamber was named as a full-time mathematics teacher.