CO Administration

Hello UCCCJSD Community,

My name is Christopher Winchell and I could not be more excited to be your Superintendent! My family and I have been here since the beginning of July. We very much appreciate the warm welcome that we have received from the entire community, thank you!

I grew up in North Central Indiana. I am the son of an elementary teacher, my father, and an instructional aide, my mother. I attended high school at South Bend Adams, a high school of about 2500 students. I enjoyed playing football, wrestling, and track. I always had a knack for mathematics and I always enjoyed working with people. So when that professional football career didn't "pan out", I found myself at IU studying Secondary Education Mathematics. After earning this degree I had the great opportunity to teach both Middle School and High School Mathematics including Calculus I and II at John Glenn School Corporation, a school system very similar to UCCCJSD. I particularly enjoyed coaching Middle School Wrestling and High School Varsity Football.

During this time I met my wife Emily and we began our family with Melachi 14, Rory 8 and Quinn 6. Melachi attends school near Cincinnati and the girls are both students here at Liberty Elementary School. My entire family is excited to be here and become active members of the Union County Family. We really appreciate the close knit experience that a school of our size provides to students and families.

Almost ten years ago I answered the called to go into administration. After many years in administration and expanded graduate work at Indiana Wesleyan, Notre Dame, and IU, I felt the call to seek a position as a superintendent

I felt this call because I believed as a classroom teacher I could positively impact 150 student a year. As a building principal I could positively impact 600 kids a year and had an opportunity to help in the greater community. I believe and hope that as a superintendent I can positively impact an entire school corporation of students and an entire community.

Furthermore, I have always believed in the power of building relationships. I have found that so much more can be accomplished with students, parents, and community members, when a relationship is built. This doesn't mean that we are always going to agree on every decision. But what it does mean is that there is always going to be an open door policy, good honest conversation, and a commitment to demonstrate genuine care and concern for all individuals. I believe when we demonstrate this to students and parents we help develop a mutual care and concern shared between our schools and your families. What better could be said about any school than "THEY REALLY CARED!!!"

As noted in a letter I sent to the UCCCJSD staff prior to the start of school I shared that, "Yes, measurable student achievement is very important. We will spend time reviewing, reflecting, building upon, and improving our craft as it relates to instruction, assessment, and academic achievement, we must do this as conscientious educators. But even more important than this is our daily efforts to build relationships with children, their families, and the greater community that we serve. Students may not remember ever mathematics lesson or every grammar rule that we teach, but they will remember our efforts to treat them with care and concern. They will remember how we didn't give up, but how we went the extra mile over, and over again, until they understood. They will remember how we cared for them, how we loved them. Yes indeed, building relationships with our students will be of the highest priority!"

Thank you for this awesome opportunity to serve you, your children, and the entire community. We will strive to make Union County/College Corner Joint Schools an educational atmosphere of acceptance, and high expectations. I know that as we all work together this is going to be a fantastic and very successful school year.

Christopher Winchell Ed.S.
Superintendent
Union County/College Corner Joint School District
107 Layman St. Liberty IN 47353
christopher.winchell@uc.k12.in.us
765-458-7471