Important Announcement

Dear Nichols Community - 

I hope you are enjoying this start to spring! I wanted to share an administrative update with you. Please see below for an important message from Assistant Principal Ball:

It is with a heavy heart that I must write this letter and say farewell to such a great staff and community here at Nichols. I want to share that I will be taking the next step in my leadership journey and have accepted a principal position at Columbia Central Middle School in Steger SD 194. I have been striving for this opportunity for quite some time now in my career and I can confidently say that I am ready to assume the mantle of principalship. My last day in D65 will be June 30; however, I want to assure you all that I am still committed to finishing this school year strong and to a smooth transition for Nichols’ next assistant principal.

During this stage of my leadership, I have shared many moments of laughter, frustrations, collegial conversations, prayer and genuine relationships with many students and staff members in the building. It is these moments that I will remember when I reflect back on Nichols.

I want to thank everyone that has supported me in this journey. There has been so much love, encouragement and prayer that has been poured over me during my time here that I honestly could not have felt more confident to take on this role without you all. I am thankful to each of you for allowing me to showcase my leadership style of leading with empathy, compassion and collaboration and my passion for all students to achieve both academically and socially.

In the end, I am blessed to have been a part of this community as I truly believe that the experiences and the growth I have experienced here, has made me prepared to step into my new role as principal. It is a bittersweet moment when you have to say farewell to a place you care so much for; however, please know that I am only an email or phone call away. It has been such a great honor and privilege to serve here at Nichols and I look forward to hearing about the great things happening here in the future.

We are so grateful for Mr. Ball’s contributions to our school community. He has certainly left a lasting impression and will be missed. We wish Mr. Ball all the best in the next stage of his career.

To ensure a smooth transition before next school year, we will post the assistant principal vacancy and begin our search process immediately. Our interview committee will include Nichols staff and District 65 administrators. As Principal, I am charged with making the ultimate recommendation for hire, and I am deeply grateful for the members of our school community who will lend their voice to this important process.

We are committed to transparency and will provide updates regarding our new leader. Thank you for your continued support!

Warm regards,

Marcus Wright (he/him)
Principal