There was a new face among administration at Hayes High School this week as Jean Trimble joined the team to serve as interim assistant principal.

Trimble comes to Delaware after serving as a library media specialist for Columbus City Schools for three years and a school library media specialist at Westerville City Schools for eight years. She also spent one year in managing the fabrication labs and makerspaces at four middle schools and three high schools for Westerville schools. She replaces Dr. Adonis Bolden, who left Hayes earlier this month to take a position as principal at Marion Harding High School.

On Friday, Trimble said she saw the job opening at Hayes earlier this month and contacted Hayes Principal Dr. Ric Stranges, who brought her in for an interview.

“It was kind of crazy,” Trimble said. “It took a little bit of communication between superintendents and thankful Columbus was able and willing to let me out of my contract with no penalty. It was almost serendipitous. It was like it was meant to be. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

Trimble said the initiatives like House and the school’s new standards-based grading scales were part of what drew her to Hayes.

“The administration and staff do great things here at Hayes High School, and I want to be a part of it,” Trimble said. “It was the natural next progression of my career. It all kind of fell in place. … I’m excited to learn everything. (I’m looking forward to) working with the staff and administration here. I’m intrigued by the House concept. I’m excited to learn about how that all comes into play. … I want to be a part of what everybody is doing. I want to make it easier and help facilitate the day.”

Trimble said she’s particularly excited about the standards-based grades and is looking forward to working with teachers using it at the school.

“A lot of my skill set is design thinking and project-based learning, and I think that’s in the upper tier of standard-based grading, so I’m helping to help out a lot with that,” Trimble said. “That’s kind of my passion, so I’m excited to work with people who are implementing that into daily instruction and allowing students to actually demonstrate their learning through some really unique projects and thought processes.”

Trimble said she hopes students come to see her as someone they can relate to, and she added she has experience with things like living with bullying.

“I’m hoping while I’m here I can be a trusted adult for students … someone they can count on and trust,” Trimble said. “I want them to know they have someone.”

Stranges said he feels “very fortunate” to have Trimble on the team at Hayes.

“She comes with a wealth of experience,” Stranges said. “What I’ve found in the first couple weeks together was her calm demeanor and natural insight and problem solving ability has been an asset to us.”

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.