BETHALTO - For Civic Memorial High School Principal Justin Newell, Bethalto is a lot more than a job. It’s a family.
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And, just like he would for his own family, he spends most of his free time with the students at CM. He watches everything from basketball games to band competitions, and he loves being there for his students.
“You would go support your own kids. So you also have to go out and support your own students,” he said. “While my inside life and outside life are intertwined, I wouldn’t change it. I love it. I love being out there enjoying all the athletics and activities, and we celebrate that as a family, that we can go do that together.”
Newell was recently named the Illinois Principals Association Southwest Region Principal of the Year. The community has recognized him as a valuable asset to Bethalto Community Unit School District #8, but Newell argues that the award speaks more to his staff at Civic Memorial than his personal achievements. He is proud of the culture they have cultivated at CM.
“Really, that award is a testament to my dedicated faculty and staff,” he explained. “That’s not even possible without them. It’s not possible without the students and the parents buying into what we’re trying to put out there. It’s more than an award just about myself. I really feel like it’s about our faculty and staff as a whole.”
Newell’s path to the Principal of the Year award wasn’t always linear. Inspired by his own high school social studies teachers, Newell attended Eastern Illinois University to obtain a degree in education. Originally from Mount Vernon, he moved to Bethalto with his wife in 2005 to take a job as a social studies teacher.
But it wasn’t long before Newell found himself in administration. He moved to Trimpe Middle School to become the Technology Leader of Curriculum, then became an assistant principal at Civic Memorial. He took on the principal position at CM for two years before becoming the district’s Curriculum Director.
While he enjoyed this role, Newell discovered that he “really missed the kids.” When CM’s principal position opened up again, he jumped at the opportunity. He has served as the CM principal for six years now, eight years total.
In this role, Newell often goes out of his way to connect with students. He noted that the district is constantly looking for chances to help students succeed after high school through their “CM Next” initiative. Newell said this is one of the “most rewarding” parts of the job for him: watching students discover what they want to do with their lives.
“My favorite part of coming to work every day is looking for new opportunities for students,” he said. “Education is just changing so much. We want to be on the forefront of it and redefine what education can look like for our students. That goes back to the staff. It takes staff to make that happen, to really go out and reach our mission and vision.”
Newell emphasized the CM staff’s commitment to the school and the students. He noted that their work wouldn’t be possible without the collaboration between educators. Eagle Nation is truly family-oriented.
“They’re not just my colleagues; they are really my friends and family,” Newell said. “We work together and we grow together, and I feel like it’s a staff where we can laugh and have a good time, and that’s what makes work enjoyable…We’re there for each other in the good times and the hard times, and we all come together as one. That’s what makes this special. Everybody understands their role and what they need to do to help the building and the school be successful.”
This atmosphere benefits the students, too. Newell has loved watching CM students grow into adults, and he noted he is starting to see “the fruits of our labor” as past students build their lives and careers.
He is proud of the students who pass through the high school every year. As the semester comes to a close, he can’t wait to watch them continue to grow and succeed.
“You see the students out there doing remarkable things, changing the world,” he said. “Our future — and there’s a lot of stuff about the future of our country — it depends on the students that we put out there, and I see a lot of greatness in them, because they are growing every single day.”
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