Long before leading Jefferson Elementary School, its principal was working on ballfields and helping in after-school classes at the Great Bend Recreation Center. Those early experiences offered a glimpse of a future in education — and a chance to make a difference in the community where he grew up.
“This led me into thinking education might be a career path I would enjoy and in which I could help make a positive impact,” Adam Niedens said.
Now in his sixth year at Jefferson, he helps lead a school with 260 students and 45 staff members, each bringing different experiences and needs through its doors.
Niedens said building relationships is central to that work, alongside high expectations and a commitment to creating a positive atmosphere.
“Every single person at Jefferson works hard to be the best we can be every day,” Niedens said.
His path back to Great Bend began at Sterling College. After graduating, he spent nine years teaching fourth grade and coaching multiple sports in Lyons, then earned a master’s degree from Fort Hays State University and served as principal of Wilson’s pre-K-12 school in USD 112.
Those experiences helped shape an approach to leadership rooted in supporting both students and the adults who serve them, he said.
At Jefferson, that effort has brought recognition. The school has been named a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School for the past two years. Niedens also points to academic scores as evidence of the work teachers and students put in.
Behind those accomplishments, however, are daily responsibilities that people outside education may never see, he said.
“Teaching isn’t just teaching anymore,” Niedens said. “There is so much more that goes into a day to help each and every student.”
Children arrive with different backgrounds and needs. Teachers must respond to those needs while continuing to help them learn. That responsibility requires flexibility, patience and attention to each student, according to Niedens.
“Teachers have a hundred jobs daily that nobody outside of a school sees or thinks about,” he said.
Supporting those teachers, for Niedens, means more than offering an encouraging word or an occasional snack or drink. It means listening, recognizing that their needs change and finding practical ways to help.
“They do so much for our school and students that I need to have their back at all times so they can continue being awesome,” he said.
That same attention to individual needs guides the school’s work with students. Niedens believes children want to succeed, build friendships and feel connected to their school. Adults have a responsibility to help make those goals possible.
“Students want to do well, they want to please, they want to be at school, they want friends and they want to be successful,” he said. “It is our job as adults to help in whatever ways we can to make that happen.”
Niedens said watching students progress from kindergarten and first grade through their later elementary years offers a perspective that extends beyond academics.
“It is so rewarding to see students being successful and continuing to improve and grow,” he said.
With hundreds of people working and learning together, each school day brings a different combination of challenges.
“No day is the same,” Niedens said. “But our goal remains consistent: Help students gain skills, develop relationships and recognize that they belong.”
When children leave Jefferson, he hopes they carry memories of friendships and connections with the adults who helped them along the way — along with an understanding that they contributed something to the school themselves.
“I hope they remember the friendships, the skills that were gained throughout the years, the relationships built with adults, and just the simple fact that their time here made an impact on Jefferson as well.”
