Patrick M. Graczyk

Patrick M. Graczyk, Principal of Grandview Elementary School at Highlands School District, cares about the approximately 450 kids in his elementary school. Every morning he visits the classrooms to build relationships with the kids. He is so intent on making a difference in their lives that he knows nearly 900f the students by their first name, and his goal is to know all of their names.

This year completes Mr. Graczyk's first year as Principal of Grandview Elementary School. He had been teaching at Highlands Middle School since 1996 when the Elementary Principal's position opened. It was a natural move for him. A native of Natrona Heights, educated in Highlands School District, Clarion University, and the University of Pittsburgh, he has always loved working with kids. A good friend encouraged him to continue his education after receiving his Bachelor's degree, and he completed a Master's program in education and a Principal Certification at the same time. That prepared him for the move to being a principal.

Mr. Graczyk credits his dad as a major influence in his life. His dad, Michael Graczyk, coached Little League and Junior Legion. As a result, he was very active in sports and earned a football scholarship to Clarion. His desire to teach began in his senior year of high school and he knew then that he wanted to work with younger children. Although a sports injury during his first year at Clarion stopped him from future pursuits as a player, his interest in sports lead him to follow in his dad's footsteps. After being hired at Highlands School District he undertook coaching in defensive and running back for two years. He currently is Assistant Varsity Coach in the same positions for Freeport Area School District.

His first adjustment after becoming principal was dealing with much younger children, pointing out that middle school kids are more self-sufficient. He said it took a while to get used to kids "hanging off his legs." He sees three areas as his main responsibility: instruction, safety, and relationships. "Effective teaching and caring about the students," he said are his high priorities.

Outside of visiting classrooms to build relationships, Mr. Graczyk said he carries out two other types of visits to classrooms. Mini visits are to observe student learning and achievement. The third form of visit is to meet with teachers, observe their teaching methods, and see that they are doing well. He said, "if I went back to teaching it would be 100% changed," referring to the wealth of knowledge gained by observing the teachers at Grandview Elementary. He went on to state that Grandview Elementary "is a place where teachers are dedicated and care for the students."