Southwest Middle names new principal

After his six years at Southwest Middle School conducting the school orchestra dressed as Darth Vader, playing a kazoo at an orchestra concert, being in the dunk tank for a walk ’n’ roll-a-thon, dressing up like the band KISS and riding go-karts with his students at Fun Spot America Theme Park, Matthew Arnold, the former principal of Southwest Middle, is saying goodbye.

Arnold, who has 23 years of education experience, has accepted a position as the Apopka High School principal, a posi tion for which he feels adequately prepared after his experience at Southwest Middle.

Although Arnold will miss his interactions with the kids and relationships with the Southwest Middle staff, he wishes the best of luck to his successor: Chuck Yockel.

“Chuck Yockel was kind of my right-hand person for the last three years, so I know the staff is very excited that he’s the new principal,” Arnold said. “He’s very reliable, knowledgeable and great with relationships.”

With 17 years of experience in the education field, you can bet Yockel knows exactly what he wants to improve at Southwest Middle and the steps to make it happen. 

Yockel first launched his career in education by working as a teacher at various elementary schools, including MetroWest and Thornebrooke. His first administrative position came when he was hired as the assistant principal at Palmetto Elementary, followed by his role at Southwest Middle, where he served as the  assistant principal of instruction for three years.

Now, he’s ready to serve Southwest Middle and the community in the role of principal — an aspiration he’s held since he first started in middle school.

“It’s fantastic,” Yockel said of his new role. “It had been a goal of mine since I started in middle school to become a middle-school principal. And I just absolutely love the community around (Southwest Middle). ... The students here are such eager learners. The staff here is outstanding. ... I’m just super excited, I guess that’s the best way to describe it.”

Although Yockel has spent the majority of his career working in elementary schools, he did not, initially, foresee his career in elementary education until his college years. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Central Florida, Yockel obtained a job working with children. 

“I started working with children, and I found out I had a great love for working with children and how children learn,” Yockel said. “And that’s what got me into it, that’s why I finished my psychology degree and went right into elementary education.”

Once he finished his first degree, he earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and went on to acquire a master’s degree in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He now applies his knowledge from psychology and education to his personal approach when handling students’ academic success, which is to meet students at an individual level to figure out where their learning needs are in order to move them forward.

With his new role at Southwest Middle, Yockel hopes to improve the school in three ways: continue to develop its college and career readiness program, which encou rages students to take higher-level courses and advanced courses; grow its performing- and fine-arts programs to offer the opportunity of a well-rounded education; and become a “digital transformation school,” which would result in all the teachers conducting their classroom instruction using a digital platform.

“You have to look at it like scaffolding for a building,” Yockel said regarding his approach to helping students succeed. “What pieces of the scaffold do we need to add; where do we need to reinforce some of the steel; where do we need to put a piece that’s missing? Doing that and just watching the kids blossom with their learning is imperative.”

Contact Gabby Baquero at [email protected]