Step Eight

Welcome, Orientation, and Installation

Once the new principal has accepted your offer, pause for prayers of thanksgiving and for God's continued blessing.

Provide your new principal with a document for his/her signature. The appropriate school and/or congregation officers must also sign. (In the case of an ELCA rostered person, the bishop's signature may be required.) Ensure that both the new principal and the school have copies of the signed documents.

Contact the applicants you did not select informing them the position has now been filled. Be sure to thank them for their time and interest. The board may want to arrange to keep these applications on file in an appropriate manner should any unforeseen circumstances arise.

Notify the ELCA Department for Schools with information about the new principal. This is important in maintaining accurate information on the WEB, the ELCA Yearbook and shared information with our Fraternal partners. The Department would also want to appropriately welcome your new principal to service in the context of a larger church.

Announce the new principal to the school faculty, staff, parents, the church community and the public. Consult with the new principal on a plan for making this announcement. Agree on the information to be released, the timing and to whom. While the board will want a very deserved celebration, it is important to follow an announcement plan. Otherwise, rumors and incomplete information may begin to circulate which might get the principal off on the wrong foot.

Most community newspapers will run a story of a new Lutheran school principal if it is accompanied by a photo of that person. While a "head shot" photo of the new principal is acceptable, it is much more effective to show the principal interacting with children.

The new principal needs to be formally introduced to the faculty, other church staff and the congregation. Even in the somewhat rare event where the new principal is not a member of the congregation sponsoring the school, the principal should be introduced to the congregation, preferably at all weekend worship services.

The school secretary and custodial staff can be of great assistance to the new principal. Ensure that these introductions happen early in the process.

There should be some formal liturgical rite of installation into office. The specific form of this ritual will depend upon many factors such as, the candidate's official ELCA status, congregation membership, etc. Regardless of the formal status of the new principal, there should be some ceremony in the worship services where the gathered community lifts up the new principal in blessing and prayer.

The new principal needs to meet other significant persons soon after taking this position. The school board or search committee can discuss with the new principal how best to make initial contacts with the principals of nearby Lutheran, public and non-public schools. Regional Lutheran school associations, ELEA networks and the ELCA Department for Schools can also be helpful in making these connections for the new principal. In smaller communities the new principal should pay a brief courtesy call upon the public school superintendent and the principal of the school which most of the Lutheran school graduates attend after completing their Lutheran school education..

Step 1: Closure with existing principal
Step 2: Responsibilities and authority for engaging new principal
Step 3: School Principal Job Description
Step 4: Salary and benefits package
Step 5: Secure names of candidates for the position of school principal
Step 6: Screening and Selecting a School Principal
Step 7: Actively seek to have your candidate accept your invitation to serve
Step 8: Welcome, orientation, and installation
Step 9: Nurture and Support of the School Principal