15-05-2025
Area school says good-bye its long-time leader
JOPLIN, Mo. — An area school says good-bye to its long-time leader.
Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School held a 'Farewell Reception' today for Head of School Laura McDonald. McDonald has been a part of the Thomas Jefferson Family for nearly 30 years. She started her TJ career in 1997 as a lower and middle school science teacher and has held many positions since then.
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McDonald officially became the Head of School in 2009. That makes her tied for the longest-serving Head of School in TJ history.
'So never thinking that I would become an administrator. Let alone head of school. But it's been a really exciting journey to be part of this community. It's really like a family and be able to watch these students grow up from the time they enter TJ at four years old all the way through when they graduated at 18,' said McDonald.
'She is the type of leader that's just willing to do anything. And so it's some of the favorite things are just the little moments of where we're just laughing in the hallway as we're picking up garbage or going somewhere, helping kids with things from different trips and things that we're doing in the classroom and out of the classroom,' said Shauna Tharp, Middle and Upper School Director.
'Well, she's always been, like, kind of a symbol of TJ as a whole. I've been here for nine years now, and even in third grade, you can always, like she was always a figure to look to look for. And like, she was always a great person to get advice from,' said 12th Grade student Gavin Box.
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