Superior elementary school hires new principal

SUPERIOR – In yet another example of the draw homegrown educators feel toward Mineral County learning institutions, a former student has returned to one area elementary school to help the facility continue its history of exceptional service to the community and its students.

Superior native Logan Labbe used to walk the halls of the schools in this community as a student. Now, he walks the halls as principal of the Superior Elementary School just a short distance from the high school where his father, Allan Labbe, still works as principal of that facility to this day.

Labbe said, while having family in the area was definitely an attractive aspect to returning to Superior, what really drew him back was the environment of the educational system in this community. Labbe said, while he originally went to school for business administration and considered entering the world of business, he simply couldn’t deny his destiny to help educate young people.

“I just decided I should be a teacher,” Labbe said. “It’s in my blood. My parents are teachers and it was something I couldn’t deny any more. It came very naturally to me and it was sort of a calling. I felt the need to be involved with kids and to have a positive impact on their lives.”

According to Labbe, the reason he and other educators decide to return to Superior to work when the opportunity becomes available is due to the nature of the educational dynamic in the schools themselves and the community as a whole.

Labbe said the school system in Superior understands the necessity of the family and does their best to act as a family themselves in their interaction with students, parents and each other.

“I’ve thought a lot about this and I think it’s because this district does a great job of recognizing the importance of a family structure,” Labbe said. “If you look at kids and their needs, structure is very important. I credit the staff and administration here. They make this a place where they have an impact on kid’s lives. This town does a lot for kids.”

Labbe said, as a former student, he witnessed first hand how teachers in Superior affect the lives of their pupils in a positive way. He said one of the primary ways in which educators in this community help students achieve their educational goals is to spend as much extra time with them as is necessary. And one thing that allows teachers to do that is the smaller class size found in Superior as opposed to larger school districts where teachers may have as many as 30 or more students to a class.

“You don’t see that extra attention in a lot of places,” Labbe said. “As an educator, you are drawn to that. When you go away, you realize how special that is. It sometimes takes going away to appreciate how special a school and a community is. That’s what drew me back. I thought a lot about the impact that these people had in my life and I decided I wanted to be a part of that.”