- Lake Pleasant Elementary School
- Principal's Message
-
July 2024
Dear Lake Pleasant Community,
It is with great honor and enthusiasm that I get to have the privilege of being principal at Lake Pleasant Elementary. My name is Aaron Bagwell and I am entering my third year here at LPE. I am currently in my 22nd year in education and extremely excited to continue my educational career at LPE. My career began in the Washington Elementary School District, where I taught math and social studies. I soon joined my wife in Peoria Unified where I taught social studies at Ira A. Murphy Elementary and Centennial High School, where I also had the opportunity to coach baseball and football. In 2012, I was fortunate to be named assistant principal at Ira A. Murphy and spent five years in that capacity. In 2017, I was named Principal at Desert Sun Academy in the Cave Creek Unified School District and served that community for 5 years.
I have had many rich experiences regarding the education of children and my love and passion for kids has grown even more than I could have imagined. There is nothing better in this world than experiencing student success and realizing my hard work has influenced a life forever. That will eternally be the best part of my job and serves as my “why” and purpose.
My wife is a great support, as she is the Principal at Oakwood Elementary School in Peoria Unified. We are blessed with four wonderful children. My step-son, Austin, is 28 and is a graduate from Northern Arizona University and is a Tempe Firefighter. He has recently been married and has three kids of his own, so I guess that makes me a grandpa! Two of the three younger children attend Liberty High School. This fall our twins, Jacob and Caitlin, will be seniors. Our daughter Taylor graduated from Liberty in 2023 and is enrolled at NAU, studying to be a nurse.
I realize to whom which is given, much is expected. Having school-age children of my own, reminds me every day of the great responsibility we have as educators to our communities to prepare their greatest assets for the future. As a father, there is nothing more important to me than ensuring my kids continue to grow into successful young adults. I can assure you that we will have the same passion for student success for all students at Lake Pleasant Elementary. Each day presents an opportunity for our kids to grow up and learn new things. We have a fast-changing world economy and it is our vision to prepare each child to face and shape the 21st Century. Our students will experience a wide range of learning opportunities that will help them realize their own individual talents and dreams. My pledge to our community is to continue the rich tradition of excellence at our school. It truly does take a village to raise a child, and I look forward to creating a partnership with all our families to ensure ALL of our students reach their fullest potential.
Respectfully,
Aaron Bagwell,Proud Principal
