Walking through the halls with blonde, glistening curls goes Kim Sempe, bright and early at 6 am. Also awake—if only by a little—is Cece, the school’s beloved golden retriever trotting along as Sempe makes her way across the school. The doors are open and Main Street slowly floods with students of all colors and sizes; conversations bouncing around the building.
This is her first day of high school too. As a principal, the paperwork is longer, the noise is louder and even the ceilings are higher from when she worked at her local middle school.
Nevertheless, her smile welcomes Cougars new and old—that’s why she’s here.
“My favorite part [of Creek] is the tradition and energy, seeing kids doing what they love in their electives or their extracurriculars,” Sempe said. “I just love to see students happy and engaged in school.”
The jump from middle school to high school can be difficult for many incoming freshmen, but the same goes for administrators like Sempe, who previously oversaw Hamilton Middle School for eight and a half years.
According to Sempe, that managerial experience has paid off, but serving Creek is not without its own teaching moments as well. Especially when the job came up for her in the middle of summer.
“The initial goal was to help get the schedule set and staff hired … and get ready for school,” she said.
The district reached out to Sempe after current principal Martin Drayton could not return from illness before school started.
“Then my assignment was extended again and so then I started thinking about all of the systems that need to be in place for students like late buses, and ‘should we have tardy sweeps, should we make sure dress code is in place?’ All of the teacher things that happen before y’all get here.”
Even though the work can pile up, Kim Sempe has always wanted to be in education from when she was a student herself to the birth of her children and grandchildren.
“I started my business career down in the Galleria, like a lot of people [did] after school, and I was sad every time school started,” Sempe said. “And then when I went back to work after having my kids, I became a teacher and I loved it. I got to write curriculum and programs, kind of on the front line contributing to the school.”
All of this, according to Sempe, is what drives her to lead Cy Creek as a school she would be comfortable sending her own grandkids to.
For example, “[School threats] make you super scared … but it also makes you reevaluate everything. Like ‘are we doing everything that we can do to keep everybody safe?’ And I think that we were safer Monday than we’ve ever been because backpacks were searched and we didn’t rush,” Sempe said.
Despite the initial shock from students and staff to Principal Drayton being temporarily replaced, life at Creek will soon return to normal with his return, Tuesday, September 23rd.
“He’s taking his time, [and] he’s very excited about getting back and very proud of this smooth start of school and the fact that everything’s going well here.”
