Meet the new principal of Bartlett High

Last week, I caught up with Suzanne Colombe, the associate principal and next principal of Bartlett High School.

Colombe takes over in the summer from Kevin Skinkis, who is leaving his post to become superintendent of Riverside-Brookfield High School District 208.

Skinkis hired Colombe as his English Department chair before promoting her to associate principal two years later.

Since then, Colombe told me, she has been thinking about becoming a principal. The Bartlett position was a perfect fit.

“I bring an understanding of where we’ve been, where we are now and where we’re heading,” Colombe said. Skinkis “has been very instrumental in my development as an educational leader,” she added.

Colombe said she hopes to increase student participation in out-of-school activities while maintaining an emphasis on academics.

“We’ve made some great strides,” she said. “That will continue to be our focus.”

Colombe will also be at the helm as Bartlett parents ramp up efforts to build a stadium at Bartlett — partly inspired by South Elgin’s ongoing stadium campaign.

“That presents a great opportunity to all of us at Bartlett High School,” Colombe said.

Colombe is a product of Elgin Area School District U-46. She attended U-46 schools starting in kindergarten and graduated from Elgin High School.

One of her classmates there was Jerry Cook, who replaces David Smiley as Elgin High School principal in the summer.

Colombe said she looks forward to working with Cook as they both settle into their jobs as U-46 high school principals, as well as “building a relationship with all the high school principals in U-46.”

T-shirts on sale at Streamwood: Students in the World Languages academy at Streamwood High School usually visit Japan after completing their third year in the program. Because of concerns about the devastation from the recent tsunami, the trip has been postponed for a year.After the disaster, students approached their teacher, Ryoko Manabe, to ask how they could help. Several students designed tsunami relief T-shirts. The students have now sold 140 shirts, with the proceeds going toward the American Red Cross#146; efforts in Japan.To buy a T-shirt, visit the Streamwood High School main office, 701 W. Schaumburg Road. 640480Students in Streamwood High SchoolÂ’s World Languages Academy are raising money for Japan tsunami relief through a T-shirt sale. Pictured, with the T-shirts they helped design are Eliana Ford, Lana Sutker, Jacqueline Martinez and Lydia Hasan.Courtesy of Streamwood High School