Bridgewater Middle welcomes Amy Klaber as principal

Bridgewater Middle School has named Amy Klaber as its new principal. The school took to Facebook on Wednesday, Jan. 12, to announce the addition to the staff.

“Welcome, Ms. Klaber, to the Bridgewater Family,” school officials said. 

Klaber said she feels honored and beyond excited to continue to serve the community.

“I am looking forward to getting to know students, staff and parents so that I’m able to provide continuity in upholding longstanding traditions, and supporting academic excellence,” the new principal said. 

Klaber is no stranger to the Orange County Public Schools system, where she has served both in an administrative and instructional capacity since 1999. 

She has taken on several roles within OCPS as an instructional coach, curriculum resource teacher, elementary teacher and music teacher. 

She then served as an assistant principal at Union Park Elementary and Robinswood Middle schools. 

Prior to her newest role, Klaber was the principal at Water Spring Elementary, established in August 2019, which she helped to build and open as a new school in the Horizon West community.

Now, she will bring her experience and knowledge to Bridgewater. 

“Our Horizon West cohort of leaders knew the importance of continuity in serving the Horizon West community,” Klaber said. “When Principal (Andrew) Jackson was tasked with moving on to lead Horizon High and Water Spring Middle School, it only made sense that someone who shared the vision and values of our area move in to continue the work.”

Klaber said Bridgewater provides many unique opportunities and course offerings for its students. The opportunities tap into something as general as providing new life experiences to students, who can find their spark and illuminate an interest, which can then turn into a career path. The school provides a plethora of electives, clubs and programs for both students and their families. 

The new principal is a native Floridian who moved to the Central Florida area in 1994. 

She holds degrees from both the University of Central Florida and Stetson University. 

However, her path toward a career in education started as early as high school. 

Klaber had teachers who inspired her and helped her to see her own potential in the field of education. She said her high school band director, Stephen Johnson, was pivotal in helping her decide her career path and supported her family in finding the right college for her, and, to this day, he continues to check in and support her life goals.  

“This is when I truly began to understand that teachers do so much more than just teach their content,” Klaber said. “They help children find their way, support them through tough times, mentor them and continue to follow their students to ensure their success. This world of education is pivotal to how our children will live in the successful future world of tomorrow.”

The new principal said she enjoys having students share their creative thought processes, how they learned to persevere or how they were able to solve something.

“Students are honest, give the best feedback and have amazing ideas,” she said. “We just need to stop, listen and validate them.”

On her days off, she enjoys spending quality time on Disney property with her two children, both OCPS students, and her husband. 

“My immediate goal is to learn as much as I can from our students, staff, parents and community about Bridgewater Middle,” Klaber said. “The vision is to continue to foster this elite academic environment while ensuring that we are able to meet the individual needs of all we serve. I know that with the support of staff, parents and the community, our students will continue to excel.”