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August 8, 2024 / Jefferson

Jefferson Middle School welcomes new principal

On August 1, new Jefferson Middle School Principal Adam Bulfer joined the staff in welcoming families to the annual “Wildcat Welcome” event.

Wildcat Welcome allows families another chance to register for school, pay fees, join the PTA, and walk the hallways with their students.

Mr. Bulfer took the opportunity to engage with some new and returning middle schoolers and introduce himself as the new principal.

“The kids’ faces lit up a little bit, and they quickly assessed me,” said Bulfer with a smile. “But they were super friendly, answering my questions and telling me what they like best about Jefferson.”

Bulfer also enjoyed meeting many of the Jefferson parents and families.

“Everyone has just been great,” said Bulfer. I met with the PTA, and they offered me their full support. I’m looking forward to the collaborative nature and the parents, school, and community working together to create the best school experience for our kids.”

Mr. Bulfer brings 16 years of experience in education, most recently serving as assistant principal at Hester Junior High School in Franklin Park (District 84). Before that, he served two years as assistant principal at the Kishwaukee Education Consortium in Malta, IL. Adam began his career in education in 2008 as a teacher at LaSalle County S.A.F.E School in Peru, IL.

Bulfer said one of his goals in the first several weeks will be to get to know people, ask a lot of questions, observe, and be really curious.

Bulfer says he has always been very relationship-driven. “Part of why I’m in education is because it’s very relationship-driven. I like talking with people, getting to know them, helping people realize their potential, especially students, and working with newer teachers.”

As a building leader at Jefferson, Bulfer looks forward to developing relationships with others, monitoring the climate, and doing everything he can to “make Jefferson a great place to work, a great place to learn, and a great place to be.”

Bulfer stressed that parents and guardians should never hesitate to bring something to the school’s attention or his attention. “Home-school communication is vital, so I want to be transparent with families and develop a partnership between home and school. Bulfer said the best way to reach him is to call the school at (630) 516-7800 or email him directly.

“I want our students to feel safe and ready to learn, and if any time their kids don’t feel that way, I want us to have conversations.”

Bulfer believes middle schoolers need many things from their school. “I think kids need structure, and they need to be listened to, heard, and felt like they’re heard.”

Bulfer said middle schoolers can often experience big waves of emotions and need help processing them. “Sometimes, it’s easy to say things like, ‘It’ll get better tomorrow, just don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine.’ Really, though, we need to remember to be patient and take the time to ask questions like, ‘Tell me about your day,’ or ‘Do you want to talk about the situation?’”

“Maybe they’re not always ready to talk, but I can tell them they can come to me whenever they are ready, and we can talk about what’s bothering them. Sometimes, kids can just shut down and not want to talk about it, but letting them know that you’re ready whenever they’re ready goes a long way.”

One of the many things Bulfer is excited about is the abundance of opportunities middle schools have to connect at school. “We created an extracurricular guide, and there are just so many clubs and sports for kids to get involved in. We have all these awesome free programs.”

Bulfer sees extracurricular activities as one way middle schools can learn to navigate life.

“These are great ways for kids to practice authentic experiences, such as figuring out how to sign up for something, seeing it through, showing up on time, and so on. That’s what middle school is all about—practicing authentic experiences.”

Bulfer envisions Jefferson Middle School as a place where students have many positive experiences that they carry with them in life.

“At Jefferson, we will be focused on providing the best possible school experience for kids. That’s really what it comes down to for me,” said Bulfer. “How are we creating the best possible school experience for all kids?”