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Midvale Journal

New administrators named for Midvale schools

Jun 22, 2017 10:13AM ● By Julie Slama

The new Midvale Middle School will open under the direction of new principal Mindy Robison. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

By Julie Slama  |  [email protected]
 
Midvale Middle School students will be welcomed back to school in the fall by a familiar face, but in a leadership role.
 
Former Midvale Middle math teacher Mindy Robison will return to the school as principal July 1. She will take the post from Wendy Dau, who has been named principal of Jordan High in Sandy.
 
“It will be great to be back in the community,” Robison said. “I really feel connected to the people. There are great staff and faculty who work together to connect with the students. It’s a community school where we build relationships and have relevance in what we’re learning.”
 
Although there’s been some turnover of employees during the two years Robison has been principal at Crescent Elementary in Sandy, she’s excited to work with those remaining—as well as see the students she knew before, who will be eighth-graders in the fall.
 
“There will be big changes, for sure, with new students and families, as well as a new building. I’ve gone to a few architectural meetings, but it will be a very nice building for the community to use,” she said.
 
The former 61-year-old Midvale Middle School where Robison taught has been torn down. The new school, which incorporates aspects of the community and school history, will open on the same property this fall.
 
Current Principal Wendy Dau has contributed to the design and construction of the new school.
 
“We’ll have a big M over the main entrance and old signage within the building design,” she said. “We’ll introduce an updated Trojan logo and incorporate the motto, ‘Strength in Unity,’ to show how diverse parts of our community come together to create this really great Midvale community.”
 
Midvale Middle’s diversity will be something Dau will miss.
 
“I will miss the students and their diversity. Jordan has some, but not to the extent of Midvale with so many who have different strengths, talents and unique contributions to make it a community. It really is a microcosm of a global society,” she said.
 
Dau also will miss the devotion of her staff and teachers, who work well with the neighborhood students as well as those who plan to do the international baccalaureate program at Hillcrest High School in which many Midvale Middle students attend.
 
“They work so hard and brainstorm outside the box. They’re here to help the students and make it a cohesive student body,” she said.
 
Midvale Middle School isn’t the only school in the community that will have a new principal in the fall.
 
Midvalley’s Jeff Nalwalker will become principal at Butler Elementary in Cottonwood Heights as current Principal Christy Waddell assumes the principal post at Draper Elementary. The new Midvalley principal will be current Canyons School District Director of Student Support Services Tamra Baker, who previously had been Draper Elementary’s principal until 2009 when she was asked to become the student achievement director position in the District’s office.
 
East Midvale Elementary Assistant Principal Angela Wilkinson has been named new principal of East Sandy Elementary, replacing Kenna Sorensen, who will become an administrator in the school district’s instructional support department. Danya Bodell, who is now Brookwood Elementary’s achievement coach, is the new assistant principal at East Midvale Elementary.
 
Midvale Middle also will receive two new assistant principals: Bryan Rudes, who has been an administrative intern with Midvale Middle, will move into the school’s assistant principal role as well as Brandee Burgham, a teacher at Fort Herriman Middle School in Herriman.