After numerous candidates applied and interviewed, Gia Jantz was chosen to be the principal at MCMS for the 2022-2023 school year. 

Prior to working at Medea Creek, Jantz has an extensive background in education. She was the Assistant Principal of A.E. Wright Middle School and Las Virgenes Independent School, Dean of Students at Colina Middle School and also taught seventh-grade English. It wasn’t until she was a student in high school that Jantz realized she wanted to be a teacher.

“When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to visit a third-world country and work with the children there for my summer, and I fell in love with working with kids every day and teaching them about things and getting to know their own lives and developing a relationship with them,” Jantz said. “And when I came home to the United States I thought, this is something that I want to pursue here.” 

Though Jantz has had a wide range of accomplishments throughout her career, the majority of her work in education has been done in middle school settings. 

“I love an age group where I feel like they’re not too focused already on getting out and moving on to their careers like high schoolers are,” Jantz said. “I kind of like that middle realm where people are still kind of figuring out where they want to go in life and figuring out their place in the world.”

As principal, Jantz is dedicated to making sure that every individual at our school is safe and protected. From protocols and drills to assemblies, she is devoted to ensuring that every student and faculty member is prepared in case of an emergency and that Medea Creek is a place where everyone knows they are adequately protected. Additionally, she is passionate about presenting students with options for socialization and interaction with their peers.

“I think that academics is extremely important, education is extremely important, but I also think that as a leader, what do you do about students who, when they come to school, it’s not always academics that’s connecting for them,” Jantz said. “What else can we do to help connect them to school and help them keep coming to school and make learning or being with their peers something fun and positive?”

During her first year at Medea Creek, Jantz is looking forward to a year of experiencing “the firsts.” From the Halloween Dance to the Pali trip, each school features different activities and opportunities in a different way.

“I’m so excited for how Medea does things and [for] the experiences that my students are having here at this school and why are they so special,” Jantz said. “I’m looking forward to being a part of them and getting to know them.”