Following the resignation of Principal Gregory Neuman, and after interviewing candidates over the past months, Trevor Menne was hired as the new principal. After years of working in the district and living in West Linn for the majority of his life, Menne answered a few questions about the upcoming year, in order for students to get to know the new principal a bit more. 

[Helena Erdahl]: How long have you been working in the district, and what are all the jobs you’ve done?

[Trevor Menne]: My first year with West Linn was actually as a coach, way back in 2004 or 2005. The next year I became a teacher and I’ve worked in the district ever since. I worked one year at Stafford Elementary. Then at Wilsonville high school, but the rest of it here. I was a learning specialist and for those at all those schools, and then an assistant principal for four years, and this was my first year as Principal.

HE: How is your job different right now compared to previous years? 

TM: Just communicating with so many different groups of people, whereas the assistant principal works really close with staff and students. The assistant principal does also, but then you’re also working more with the community, more different departments in the school district, and then just kind of working on some bigger picture things that didn’t necessarily work on as assistant principal, or not as directly.

HE: What are your goals for this year?

TM: Obviously so much of the last two years have really changed how all of us have experienced school. So being really intentional with our teachers about recreating connections, some healing of just being together again, and building a positive culture and then bringing that forward with our students in our classrooms [is really important].”

HE: What are your favorite parts about being principal so far?

TM: It’s hard to separate, just the time of year and the newness of everything and the freshness of being back from being apart. It’s just been so awesome to have students to talk to, banter with, or kind of laugh with or joke with during the passing time. Or if we’re at a game to just be able to smile and laugh with them, to walk into a classroom and see awesome things happening and discussions and learning. Last year, I mean I would go into zoom classrooms and those kinds of things but it was just so different.”  

HE: What are some things you have liked less about this year so far?

TM: It’s hard to take the COVID lens off of that, I think. It’s not like less, the important thing that isn’t necessarily fun but really thinking through masks, trying to make our classrooms as safe as possible, ensuring all of our protocols are in place to notify students if something happens around you know contact tracing those kinds of things.

Menne has lived here since his teenage years and feels very committed and connected to the community. “I live here with my family and the West Linn community is very important to me,” Menne said. “I want to do everything I can to help it continue to grow and develop into the most welcoming and inclusive place that it can be,”