Hannah to be principal at Harrah

“I loved my time at Wahkiakum,” John Hannah said recently. “I have great friends and family here. Cathlamet will always be home.”

Hannah began working for Wahkiakum School District in 1998, as a substitute teacher while working on his Masters Degree in Teaching. In the fall of 2001, he started teaching sixth grade full-time. He later moved into the middle school and most recently taught high school math. He has also coached wrestling and football.

In June, Hannah packed up his classroom at Wa-Ki-Hi and headed east to begin his new career as principal of Harrah Elementary School in Mount Adams School District near Yakima.

“We have about 600 kids with classes from kindergarten to sixth grade,” said Hannah. “Harrah is a small town, comparable to Skamokawa, but it covers a large area. I’ll be working with 35 teachers, 20 classified staff members and an assistant principal. There will be challenges, but this is a very exciting opportunity.”

Harrah Elementary School sits on the back end of the Yakima Nation Reservation.

“We’ve got a lot of diversity,” said Hannah. “Our student population is 60 percent Native American, and 30 percent Hispanic. There is a combination of tribe and non-tribe members as well.

“One of the things that drew me to Harrah was the community presence,” recalled Hannah. “It is similar to Wahkiakum in that the school is a central focus. I saw very quickly that the school plays a big role there.”

Of his new working environment, Hannah said, “It’s a progressive district that has made some giant steps forward recently. I’ve got excellent resources, including a superintendent who knows the challenges and the community. I’m working on finding a way to continue the processes that have been set in motion and to put my own ideas into place.”

“I’ve contacted about 90 percent of the staff,” said Hannah, “just trying to understand their different styles and how I fit in to the big picture. It’s a high poverty area, so there are challenges in low scoring assessments and attendance. I am figuring out how to enhance the learning community.”

Looking back on his time at Wahkiakum, Hannah fondly considers the relationships that he’s built as a teacher, a coach and through the fire department. “I tell people that nothing has to come to an end. They’ll just have to travel a little further to see me.”

John, his wife Lisa and their two children are keeping their home in Cathlamet and purchasing a second home in Yakima. “We’ll be back for holidays and Lisa is staying on at St. John,” said Hannah.

To his former colleagues at Wahkiakum Hannah said, “I wish them all the best of luck. I’ve got a great opportunity here and I can’t complain about getting a few more days of sunshine.”