St. Francis Area Schools Superintendent Karsten Anderson has announced the hiring of Jamie Studnicka as the next principal at Cedar Creek Elementary School (CCES). He begins his role as principal on July 1.
“Mr. Studnicka will be an exceptional principal because he passionately serves students, staff, and parents,” Anderson said. “His desire to work in St. Francis Area Schools was clearly evident throughout the selection process, and he is already making plans to meet people and get things rolling.”
Studnicka spent the last three years as the K-5 Elementary Principal at St. Hubert Catholic School. Prior to his administrative experience, Studnicka served as a physical education teacher for 17 years. A dozen of those years were at SFAS as a physical education and DAPE teacher where he was active in professional development opportunities for staff and was the district physical education curriculum specialist. He was also named a Minnesota Teacher of the Year candidate while in the district.
“I am thrilled to return to the St. Francis Area Schools community and serve as principal of Cedar Creek Elementary School,” Studnicka said. “St. Francis is where I began my career in education, which makes this opportunity especially meaningful.”
During his time at St. Hubert Catholic School he led the complex change of implementing a new Professional Learning Community (PLC) process, which contributed to an increase in grade-level reading proficiency by an average of 12%. He also collaboratively developed a behavior management system that helped to decrease office referrals by 50% in one year.
“I am passionate about building strong relationships with students, staff, and families to foster a school culture where every child feels known, supported, and encouraged to reach their full potential,” Studnicka said. “I look forward to partnering with the Cedar Creek Elementary community to create a positive, student-centered learning environment.”
Prior to becoming a physical education teacher, Studnicka served in the United State Marine Corps - Infantry Platoon Sergeant Co G, 2nd BN, 24th Marines.
The selection process included a review of applications by three administrators, a first-round interview with many CCES staff members, and a second-round interview by District Cabinet members.