Principals
Geoff Smith, Principal
Heather Norton, Assistant Principal
Heather Norton arrived in Kodiak, August 1991 and spent the next 17 years working with school groups, leading after school programs, directing summer day camp, and instructing horsemanship, kayaking and team building classes at Kodiak Baptist Mission.
She began her education career with KIBSD in 2008 as the 8th grade US History teacher at Kodiak Middle School. In 2019 she became Assistant Principal at KMS. This year, Heather will be the KMS Assistant Principal assigned to the 6th grade.
Heather graduated from University of Sioux Falls with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. In 2010 she completed a Master of Arts Teaching from University of Alaska Southeast and in 2019 completed Educational Leadership certification through George Washington University in Virginia.
KMS is her heart and passion. She believes middle schoolers are in a wonderful state of constant learning and exploration. They often don’t know which way they are going and sometimes they meet themselves along the pathway. Helping to facilitate and being present for those moments are what make working with middle schoolers challenging and so rewarding.
Rena Rankin, Assistant Principal
Rena Rankin will serve as an assistant principal at Kodiak Middle School. This is her fifth year working for KIBSD. Her previous positions for the district include 5th grade teacher, middle school math teacher for the Remote Learning program, middle school gifted and talented teacher, and high school gifted and talented teacher. She also taught middle school math for three years in Maryland and six years in Virginia prior to moving to Kodiak in 2018.
Rena graduated from Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in Art Education and Elementary Education. Rena earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership in 2015 from the American College of Education in Indiana. In 2022, Rena added a second master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the American College of Education. Rena holds teaching certifications in Elementary K-6, Math 6-12, Art K-12, and a Gifted & Talented endorsement. As a lifelong learner, Rena plans to continue to find ways to positively impact the education system.
Rena has a passion for working with middle school students. She strives to build positive relationships with students as she learns their stories and provides guidance and encouragement for all students to find success.
