New admin at two local schools

Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) will have a new leader next year, with Sha’teiohserí:io Patton set to become the school’s new principal, while Melissa Lasante will serve as the new associate principal at Kateri School.

“We’re just very proud of both Melissa and Sha’teiohserí:io,” said Kahnawake Education Center (KEC) director Falen Iakowennaiéwas Jacobs. “They both have the leadership skills and the qualities that can really bring the roles they’re taking on forward, and we’re really excited to have them in the roles.”

Patton was associate principal at KSS for most of the academic year that is now coming to a close, having started in that role in October at the impressive age of 25. Having learned from that experience, the Stanford University graduate is now ready for her next challenge.

“Honestly, the right word is gracious. I’m also very humbled by being selected. I’m really eager to be able to step into the new role and support the student body, the teachers, and the greater community of KSS. I’m very excited,” said Patton.

That overarching view of the school’s place in Kahnawake will be fundamental to her approach, she suggested.

“I think a successful student is as strong as the community surrounding them,” said Patton, who views collaboration as a critical component of local education. Getting to know KSS as a kind of family is one big observation from her tenure so far, she said, and one she will focus on preserving going forward.

“We have so much love for each other. That was my biggest takeaway. It is a community school. It’s filled with so many passionate people and minds and feelings that really extend a lot farther than academics,” she said.

She emphasized the importance of her own family’s support, citing her loving parents, in helping her get to where she is today. Perhaps this is one reason she wants to give parents every opportunity to participate in school life.

“I think what I’d like parents to know is they have as much of a voice in school policy and culture as the students, as the teachers, as the staff. I would love to have greater parent collaboration in the coming years,” she said, adding that the outreach is likely to include updates to the school’s communications strategies.

From the beginning of her tenure at the school, Patton has also seen how important student wellness and safety are to academic success, so it will be a priority to ensure this is reflected in the school’s policies and protocols.

“We’re also looking at strengthening the identity of culture as well as tradition in the school, so getting more perspective from the student body about what that means, what Kanien’kehá:ka identity is all about, what are the school values,” said Patton.

This approach is one reason Patton was selected for the role, according to Jacobs, as her outlook aligns with the KEC’s emphasis on strengthening Kanien’kehá:ka culture, which will continue to be one of the core priorities in the years ahead.

“I’ve always been impressed with Sha’teiohserí:io’s drive and her community vision, and that includes incorporating our ways and our culture, tsi niionkwarihò:ten, into everything that she does,” said Jacobs.

A new associate principal at KSS will be needed, for which a callout will be coming soon. The school’s current principal, Sarah Phillips, has decided to return to the classroom as a teacher for the time being, according to Jacobs.

Lasante, meanwhile, will be moving from the position of resource teacher at Kateri School to become that facility’s associate principal.

“We’re really excited to welcome Melissa on board in her position,” said Jacobs, noting Lasante’s extensive experience in education in Kahnawake, which goes back more than two decades, including at Step By Step Child and Family Center.

“She has a lot of the background and the leadership skills and qualities needed to fulfill the role of associate principal,” said Jacobs.

One of her assets is the way she’s proven adept at creating ties with community members, Jacobs said.

“That’s what our whole system is based on is parental voice, parental guidance, parental connection, and it’s so imperative to foster those bonds and establish good relationships with parents from the get-go, from when they enter into the KEC system, to know their perspective and their opinions are so valuable. They’re their children’s first teachers, so we can only work together to meet the needs of our students,” she said.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter