When the 2021-22 school year begins, students attending Bannes Elementary School will have a new principal. KSD 140 educator Karyn Bissell was selected to lead the school, taking over for Dr. Dan Callaghan who recently became the District’s Director of Curriculum & Instruction.
“I am so excited about becoming part of the Bannes family,” stated Mrs. Bissell. “I am eager to work together as a team with students, families, and staff to build strong relationships and meet the academic and emotional needs of all of our students.”
Mrs. Bissell holds both a master's degree in School Leadership from Concordia University Chicago and a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Olivet Nazarene University. She is also a graduate of St. Xavier University with a bachelor's degree in Education.
She has worked in Kirby School District 140 for 25 years. Mrs. Bissell taught at Helen Keller Elementary School for 16 years in both the primary and intermediate grades and then went on to teach eighth grade science at Virgil Grissom Middle School for 9 years. She was an eighth grade Team Leader for 5 of her 9 years there. Most recently, Mrs. Bissell was the Assistant Principal at Grissom for the past 2 years.
“I am looking forward to an amazing year with our Bannes students as they continue to learn and grow and am honored to be their new principal,” stated Mrs. Bissell.