New principal settling into Indus School

“I do believe in them and want them to be successful,” Alwin said of her Indus School students.

“I hope they have the self-motivation and drive to keep up with school and state standards,” she said, adding that she “also wants them to be decent human beings.”

“I truly believe that all students can learn. (Their success) is dependent on the relationship built between the student, teachers and the family. If you don’t have the triangle, it’s hard to get success.”

Alwin said that she hopes to facilitate that triangle by working with students and their families. One thing that makes Indus unique from other schools she has worked at, she said, is the relationship between students and faculty — many who have other family in the school or have had parents and grandparents who went to Indus.

But overall, she said that her first few months at Indus have been much as she expected in many ways, even though each day is unique. Indus is “no different than any other school,” with disciplinary problems, parent-teacher conferences, and assemblies among the activities that mark the passing of the school year, she said.

Each day for a principal is different, according to Alwin, with moments of downtime and other times that are filled with duties. “The thing I learned the most is that every day is going to be different. No day is ever the same,” she said.

“It’s been a really good experience,” Alwin said. “You get to know everyone really quickly. It’s good to test out being an administrator in a small setting.”

Alwin said that she “feels included” in the Indus School community, and that she enjoys having “more one-on-one contact with students.”

She called the smaller school a “diamond in the rough,” with a “really nice facility and a dedicated staff.”

Alwin and her husband moved to International Falls in August. She said that she had been looking for a principal position and had “applied all over the state,” and the job in Indus “just ended up happening.”

She said that she felt that she and superintendent Bob Jaszczak made a good connection and leadership team at Indus.

Alwin has been in education for 13 years. She spent 11 years teaching mostly middle school math in Cannon Falls, Minn. She also worked at Hudson High School in Hudson, Wis. and Maple River High School in Mapleton, Minn.

She got her principal license in the fall of 2008 from Minnesota State University, Mankato, with a specialist degree in educational leadership. She said that she did her cohort experience in Red Wing, Minn. She also holds a master’s degree in educational leadership.

“I think I took to leadership naturally,” she said. She also noted that she was encouraged by those who knew her to assume a leadership role within the educational environment.

Alwin said that in previous positions, she has coached volleyball and track and also advised student council, so she has an interest in student activities. That led nicely into her second role as the school’s activities director.

She noted that not only does Indus have several sports teams, including volleyball, cross country, girls basketball, wrestling, baseball and softball, but also a variety of electives that make Indus unique in the area.

“We have a lot of electives kids are interested in,” she said, adding that especially in the upper grades, the school was “unique in the way that we try to accommodate each child’s interest and create a schedule tailored to their interests.”

There is even an online system at the school whereby students can take classes that are not offered at Indus on the computer and receive their high school credits.

“If we don’t offer a course for them, we try to find something for them to satisfy their elective requirement,” she added.

Alwin also noted that K-12 Indus School, unlike other Koochiching County schools, is part of a larger district with Northome, which creates a unique scenario for participating in district-wide meetings and events between the buildings, which are 84 miles apart.