New Octorara Intermediate School (OIS) principal Jonathan Blake described himself as a "fourth-grade teacher at heart."

Originally a fourth-grade teacher within Wallingford-Swarthmore School District, Blake was most recently assistant principal of Penn London Elementary School within the Avon Grove School District.

Sticking in Chester County, the upcoming school year will be Blake's first with Octorara. Having recently started his position, he said he is already amazed with how tight the local community is.

"Going through the interview process, getting to meet more of the admin team, the teachers, the stakeholders, I just could really see myself wanting to be here," he said. "I immediately just really felt at ease and at home."

Blake has already reached out to around 75 OIS families via phone call.

"There's like this organic, deep passion in terms of caregivers, like their children and students, but then also the partnerships of the school district - in my case the intermediate school - and (wanting) to make sure that their kids get the absolute best educational experience."

Blake said that he views the school as one big classroom, with both students and staff classified as active learners. His philosophy is grounded in three pillars: people, purpose and progress.

He said that education and school is one of the few true shared experiences among all humans. He said that the intermediate level is the "sweet spot" of learning.

"We really just understand and value education as more than the curriculum," he said. "The standards that we have to get across, that's absolutely extremely important."

Blake's wife, Shelby, is also a teacher at Blake's former district of Wallingford-Swarthmore. Along with a 25-pound cockapoo, the couple have two kids: Harper, 2, and Logan, who is under a year old. Blake is an avid Philadelphia sports fan who also follows Penn State athletics.

Blake said that he has had one major event in every year that he has been an administrator, including the birth of his two children and a medical scare.

"All of those things I think allowed me to grow in leadership, especially being a parent," he said. "I feel that really allowed my lens to really grow as well as connect with where families were coming from. Prior to being a parent, I think I tried to do it, but I didn't fully understand until I got a chance to experience that."

Last month, Blake penned a letter to the Octorara community, promising to be deeply committed to every student, family and staff member. He promised that OIS will be a safe, supportive, and engaging learning environment that provides a sense of belonging for all in it.

Blake is not the only new administrator in the district. Angela Regrut is the new principal of Octorara Primary Learning Center; Blake spoke very highly of her.

"I'm super excited to get a chance to work with her," Blake said. "The few times I've had a chance to interact with her, we've hit it off, and I think we both have a lot of that same positive energy and really wanting what's best for learners, especially at the K-5 level."