CC#130: Rewards and Challenges with 2026 Kansas APOY Sarah Thomas - Ross Elementary

Episode Summary Sarah Thomas, 2026 Kansas Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year and current AP at Ross Elementary School in Dodge City, Kansas, shares her journey, insights, and the rewarding challenges of educational leadership. Discover how her dynamic approach and community focus drive success and foster a positive school culture. Connect with the guest: Sarah Thomas (mailto:THOMAS.SARAH@usd443.org) USD 443 (https://www.usd443.org/) - Dodge City   REGISTER FOR THE 2026 KPA CONFERENCE (https://www.ksprincipals.org/o/kpa/pa...) The mission of the Kansas Principals Association (https://www.ksprincipals.org/o/kpa) , an organization committed to educational excellence and the lifelong success of all students, is to develop and support all principals through optimized learning, collaborative leadership, networking, and service. Read more about the KPA HERE (https://www.ksprincipals.org/o/kpa) . YOUR input on Cool Coffee is WANTED! Click HERE (https://forms.gle/nSVj4nNw1Yn74WVu8) to share thoughts and interest for you or a colleague on being on the show! Click for ALL Cool Coffee (https://coolcoffee.podbean.com/) episodes! Connect with Cool Coffee on... Follow us on X: @KSPrincipals (https://x.com/KPACoolCoffee) ; @KPACoolCoffee (https://x.com/KPACoolCoffee) Facebook: KSPrincipals (  / ksprincipals  ) Contact the host: KPACoolCoffee@gmail.com (mailto:KPACoolCoffee@gmail.com)   Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Sarah Thomas and her role 01:20 What does an elementary assistant principal do? 02:26 The excitement of managing unpredictability in schools 03:22 Winning the assistant principal of the year award 07:01 Overview of Ross Elementary School 08:54 Building community through engagement events 10:17 Proud moments and leadership values 12:42 Surprising moments in school administration 14:10 Path to educational leadership 16:39 What drew Sarah to administration? 18:18 The impact of positive communication with families 20:58 Balancing confidentiality and support in counseling 22:25 Describing her school in one word 23:13 The joy of celebrating successes 24:24 Embarrassing moments and lessons learned 26:43 Looking ahead and upcoming recognitions 27:58 Bragging on her staff and school community 29:07 Closing remarks and gratitude for the opportunity