Greetings! My name is Heather Halabu, and it i​s with great excitement that I write to you today to introduce myself as the new principal of Dicken Elementary School. ​​I have been an educator in the Ann Arbor Public Schools for seventeen years. For the past two years, I have had the pleasure of serving as assistant principal of King Elementary. Prior to this experience, I was a classroom teacher and Reading Intervention teacher for fifteen years at Angell Elementary and Thurston Elementary. I have also served as a principal for the Summer Learning Institute for the past three years. I live here in Ann Arbor with my husband, Chris, who is also an educator, and our two energetic sons, Marcel (12) and Oliver (10). As a family, we love to visit the Farmers Market, play tennis, swim, cook and travel.

It is a true honor to join the Dicken community. ​​I am eager to begin working alongside the staff to continue to advance the achievements of the school​. ​I am looking forward to connecting with families and collaborating​ ​with the PTO in support of the wonderful work that they do to strengthen this community of learners.

During this unique time of teaching and learning through the current global pandemic, I believe that the social emotional well being of our staff and students is of the utmost importance. Throughout the coming weeks leading up to our new academic year, I will be reaching out to you in various ways to gauge the needs of our community. Having served as a principal of the Summer Learning Institute during COVID-19 this summer, I have had the opportunity to become well versed in the district’s online platform, Schoology, that we will utilize this fall during remote learning. Supporting teachers and families in becoming familiar with this platform has been an incredible opportunity.

It is my strong belief that students need to feel a sense of belonging and community in order to succeed. During the first several weeks of school, my top focus will be on building relationships with staff and students. I look forward to learning alongside the children and making personal connections with them as individuals. Having been a teacher for fifteen years, it is important for me to keep my finger on the pulse of the classroom and to support the meaningful teaching and learning that takes place each day.

Here's to a wonderful year!