Community Invited To Farewell Party For LAMS Principal Rex Kilburn At TOTH Today!

LAMS Principal Rex Kilburn delivers a goodie bag to head custodian Alfredo Tena in appreciation for his monumental effort to keep the school clean every day. Photo by Bernadette Lauritzen

 

By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
LAPS

The community is invited to say farewell to Los Alamos Middle School Principal Rex Kilburn and his wife Dawn.

Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church will host the farewell event 3:30-6:30 p.m. today. LAMS staff is working to provide light appetizers for the three hour festivities and anyone who would like to bring a dish is welcome to share.

Kilburn accepted a position in the Northwest Arctic School Borough District of Alaska and will begin his new position July 29.

Kilburn and wife Dawn moved here in 2004 where he taught 5th and 6th grades at Pinon Elementary School in White Rock. He then moved to LAMS in 2009-2010, where he has served as assistant principal and has been the principal for the past 6 years.

“Rex is the most awesome boss I have ever had,” Assistant Principal Anna Vargas-Gutierrez said. “He has been a great leader, mentor and friend to me. His calmness and sense of humor help get me through the day!”

Kilburn will move from a 588 student middle school to lead an 80 student K-12 school, in Kotzebue, Alaska.

“I want to express my gratitude to the many people that welcomed my family and me to this community,” Kilburn said. “The students that I have been blessed to work with have made my 11 years in Los Alamos memorable. It has always been those special moments created when working with students has kept me going and engaged in education.”

This week hopes to find Kilburn and wife Dawn with lots of kudos for many years of work to benefit the school. Dawn currently serves as registrar, where she joined the Hawk team in 2010.

While no time of year is particularly slow, this time of year finds Mrs. Kilburn immersed in not only creating the master schedule for the 2015-16 school year, but also training her new replacement as well. Mrs. Kilburn also was instrumental in assisting with the roll out of the PARCC testing, along with additional staff and the unforeseen obstacles along the way.

“I have enjoyed immensely working with Rex over the past few years,” PTO President Kelly Benner said. “He has been a great partner with the PTO giving us the freedom and ability to put ideas forth in order for us to raise money and show our appreciation of the teachers and staff at LAMS.”

Kilburn is appreciated by parents, students and staff alike and many will find that the week will go by way too quickly.

“What I love about Rex is that he’s in touch with his inner child,” LAMS Clinical Counselor Jennifer Neil said. “When we’re going over the week, I’m always aware that if we were both 9 years old, he would be my best friend. He is truly one of the best bosses I have ever had; he’s a nice mixture of professional and personal.”

Kilburn will finish out the year in service to his staff with his annual contribution of personally grilling hamburgers at his staff picnic Thursday afternoon.

 

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