Schools

Burleigh Welcomes New Principal with Gifts, Big Shoes

Burleigh Principal Bil Zahn gives his successor Teresa Curley his Viking purple/gold Nikes, as students welcome Curley with songs, questions and applause.

Forget about the passing of the baton.

At Burleigh, it's all about the passing of the shoes. Burleigh Viking, purple and gold shoes.

Bil Zahn, retiring as Burleigh's principal after 22 years, presented his successor Teresa Curley with his size 11.5 Nikes. Laughing as she said her 6.5-size feet couldn't fit in the iconic shoes, Curley promised to keep them on display at the school.

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Students welcomed Curley, who was in Kenosha County, with applause, questions, gifts, song and dance during an all-school assembly Monday morning.

The "hello" to Curley came after a at another assembly and cookout Friday.

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The kindergarteners through fifth graders sang "Welcome to Burleigh" and the fourth- and fifth-graders reprised Katy Perry's "Firework," which was a song in the school's musical revue earlier this year.

Each grade level presented a different gift to aid her transition: a clock for her office, keys to the school, a Packers T-shirt, a laptop, purple socks and Zahn's Nikes.

Four students — Arjun Shreekumar, Tommy Olenchek, Jay Denton and Nikhita Santebennur — moderated a "Talk Time with Mrs. Curley," sitting on chairs in talk show fashion, asking her questions.

Curley explained that she grew up in Illinois, rooting for Chicago sports teams, but would work hard to embrace Wisconsin teams.

While her Cubs support drew some boos, she garnered loud applause when she told students she believed she would continue all their favorite days and events, such as Crazy Hair Day, Field Day, Fourth Grade Madison Trip and more.

"I think we should still do all that stuff," she said.

Curley said she chose to seek the job at Burleigh after reading online about "all the great things" about the school and feeling it was similiar to the school and district she was leaving.

She told students that when she was in third grade she already knew she wanted to be a teacher. She taught for a dozen years — first at the middle school, teaching science, social studies and computers and then in third grade — before becoming a principal five years ago.

Curley said she has two sons — one a student at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and another finishing his seventh grade. The family also has one pet, a 15-pound "brunt of a beagle" named Kate.

Some of her other answers to students' questions:

Q: Favorite part of school?
A: "All the fun things at school, like Crazy Hair Day and Field Day."

Q: Favorite sport?
A: "In high school I was a swimmer (but) baseball is my favorite sport."

Q: Favorite dessert?
A: "Chocolate cake, anything chocolate."

Q: Favorite hobbies?
A: "Baking, scrapbooking, travel."

Q: Favorite school subject?
A: "Reading"

Q: Favorite book?
A: "The Harry Potter series"

Curley said she will start working at Elmbrook next week and begin the summer-long transition as Burleigh's top leader.


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