Principal's Page

Lisa Hannon, Principal
Lisa.Hannon@district196.org
651-683-6969 ext. 92807

Background
This is my 33rd year as an employee of district #196. During my 33 years I have enjoyed a variety of assignments at various elementary schools throughout the district. I was hired by ISD #196 the summer I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College and began teaching first grade at Northview Elementary in August of 1976. After three years, I transferred to Echo Park Elementary where I served as first grade team leader for 9 years. During my years as a teacher at Echo Park, I completed my Master of Arts degree in Education from the University of Minnesota. After the completion of my master's degree, I continued my graduate studies at the University of Minnesota to obtain licensure as an elementary principal. In 1987, I transferred to Westview Elementary as a fifth grade teacher to gain experience working with older students. In January of that year, I had the opportunity to work as an elementary principal intern at Rosemount Elementary. During my internship, I applied for the permanent opening of principal and served as principal at Rosemount Elementary from 1988 - 1996. In 1996, I made a decision to return to a classroom position to renew and reacquaint myself with life in the classroom. I worked as a second and first grade teacher at Diamond Path Elementary and also became trained as a Reading Recovery Advocate. In the spring of 1998, Jerry Bertsch retired as principal of Oak Ridge. Jerry had opened the building and I had heard nothing but wonderful things about the staff and community at Oak Ridge. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up! This is my tenth year as principal at Oak Ridge and I feel privileged to be part of this exceptional organization.

Attitudes and Beliefs
My attitudes and beliefs about the importance of school and home working together take root in my early years. I was raised in a family of five children in south Minneapolis. My father was a firefighter for the city of Minneapolis and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. All in all, it was a pretty typical childhood for someone raised in the 60's. However, my father was able to play a much larger role in our education due to his work schedule with the fire department. Both of my parents were very involved throughout my school years, although they believed the work was my responsibility. After graduation from Washburn High School, I went on to complete my B.A. at Gustavus Adolphus College. During the summers in college, I worked on the staff of Cathedral of the Pines Camp in Lutsen, Minnesota. I have always considered myself fortunate in that I always knew I wanted to be involved in teaching in some way. I never had to wrestle with career choices!

Currently
I currently reside in south Minneapolis with my husband, Lee Mosher. We enjoy traveling abroad, reading, and biking. We have recently started learning French and Spanish, which is a challenge at our age!

I am proud to have worked in School District #196 for 33 years. I believe we offer a quality education to our students and have an exceptional staff. I encourage parents to become involved in their children's education and I hope that you will find the environment at Oak Ridge to be a welcoming one. If you have questions about our school or school related issues, please feel free to give me a call at 651-683-6970. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you and your family.