By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
After three years on the job, Sitka High School principal Sondra Lundvick has been named 2023 Principal of the Year in Southeast, the Alaska Council of School Administrators announced Tuesday.
Sondra Lundvick (Photo provided)
“It was a real honor – and actually a surprise too,” Lundvick told the Sentinel in an interview.
In a release, the council described Lundvick as “a dynamic administrator, willing to go the extra mile for her students and staff.”
Though she received the award as an individual, Lundvick credited her staff for much of her work and success as principal.
“I have a great staff that all collaborates. And I think that collectively we have a really good school and it’s not attributed to me, it’s attributed to our team… We have a really positive school culture and climate where we celebrate each other,” she said.
Prior to her time as Sitka High principal, Lundvick served as assistant principal, and was Lady Wolves basketball coach for six years. In 2015, the team won a state championship title under Lundvick’s coaching. Her team took second place twice, and won the Region V title in 2020 when COVID ended the season before the state tourney could take place.
Before coming to Sitka, Lundvick was an athletic director at a high school in Hawaii, and an administrator and coach in Metlakatla.
In its announcement about Lundvick, the School Administrators Council cited her work to form a course credit catalog and expand culturally responsive practices as reasons for the accolade.
Lundvick highlighted her affinity for working with young people as a prime motivator for her.
“The reason I got into education was to work with kids. And so the fact that I can come into the building and interact with students, and not just academically but in activities and everything else, those are the things that I definitely enjoy,” she said.
Lundvick said she and others at Sitka High worked hard in 2021 to provide a full school experience to students - including a prom and graduation - in spite of the pandemic.
Speaking to the difficulties of the position, she named the many events slated to take place in the next six weeks including sports tournaments, graduation, planning of a master schedule, and more.
“Our job is to try to make this as best we can. And no matter what level you’re at, you can always get a little better,” she said. “So it’s a continuous strive for improvement but it can at times be overwhelming.”
