Lake Forest Park WA
6-28-2026 12:13pm

Long Time Beloved LFP Elementary Principal, Aimee Miner Moves On

After 17 years at the LFP Elementary, where she once attended as a
student, Aimee Miner has opted to move on to a different role in the
Mukilteo School District. We asked for her thoughts about her time at
LFP Elementary:

You walked these same hallways as an elementary student before
returning to lead them as principal. How did your own childhood memories
here shape the way you led the school and connected with the students? 

I attended LFP Elementary school with my younger brother from
1980-1983 for 4th-6th grades. Miss Shields, the school librarian, was
someone I
looked up to and I shared a love of reading and books with her. The
school library was my favorite place in the school. I used to volunteer
to help with the AV (Audio Visual) equipment and my mom loved to
volunteer in the school library too. I was also an office helper who
would cover in the office while the school secretaries would eat their
lunch. I loved helping put the daily mail in the teacher boxes in the
office, talking with wonderful Principal Wicklund, answering the
phones, and greeting guests as they came in the school. Little did I
know that I
would work in that office years later. The focus on inclusivity,
family, student centered education, community, and empowering the
students to be young leaders made a profound impact on me as a child
and I brought those values with me when I took the helm at LFP. It has
been
important to me that every student feels connected to LFP and feels a
sense of belonging to the community. I loved my time at LFP as a student
and it has been an honor to be able to give back and to serve the
community for 17 years that helped to raise me.

As you look back on your tenure, what are one or two achievements or
cultural shifts within the school that you are most proud of leaving
behind? 

Building a warm and welcoming community is what I am most
proud of the staff for creating at LFP. LFP is a wonderful place to
work, learn, and grow. The staff cares deeply about the students and
families and they work hard to help every family feel a part of this
amazing community. There is also a high level of expectation of each
other so that we all show up as our best selves to serve students. We
support each other during difficult moments and learn and grow from
them. One of the biggest shifts during my tenure was improving how we
teach students to read. The staff embraced the Science of Reading and
the focus on teaching foundational literacy skills. Strong reading
instruction along with frequent progress monitoring and alignment of
the reading curriculum has allowed our students to thrive as readers and
to
improve our reading scores. Our staff believes that every student must
learn to read and they are committed to making that happen!

This community holds you in incredibly high regard. What will you miss most about the daily interactions with the students, teachers, and parents of this specific
district?

I grew up in LFP, my husband and I raised our children in
the community, and I am so grateful to have gotten to be a small part of
many student's educational journey in Shoreline School District. I am
proud of this school and the district for the commitment to equitable
literacy and sense of belonging for every student. I have an immense
sense of gratitude for all that I have learned from the students,
families, LFP staff, and my district colleagues from 2000-2026. I have
loved partnering with the LFP Stewardship Foundation, Roots of
Empathy, Shoreline Foundation, Nino the therapy dog, and Power of One
volunteers. All of these incredible organizations have supported our
students in
remarkable ways. I will miss seeing the students grow from
Kindergarten until they come back as Shorecrest graduates to walk the
halls one last
time. It has been such a joy to see them succeed in our school system
and to have positive memories of their time in elementary school. I will
miss high fiving the primary students each morning at the front
entrance, learning how to make the school better from the principal
advisory team, celebrating students each Friday for earning Promise
awards, Friday afternoon dance parties at recess, and checking in with
students in the bus line at the end of the day to make sure they had a
great day of learning and socializing.

Moving to a new role outside of the district you grew up in is a major transition. What drew you to this new opportunity, and what challenges are you most excited to take on?

After 17 years doing the same job, I am ready for a new challenge and one
that can impact more students. I look forward to being able to support
principals so they can be the best leader for their staff, students, and
families. It is very difficult to leave LFP and Shoreline Schools where
I have dedicated a large part of my career to, but I take with me
incredible pride, deep knowledge, and love for this community that has
shaped who I am as a leader.. I will always be a dragon/dolphin in my
heart and I look forward to continuing to live in this community and
hearing about all the great things that will continue to happen at LFP
Elementary.

If you could sit down with the incoming principal who will take over your
desk, what is the most important piece of advice you would give them
about leading this unique school community and the incredible staff at LFP Elementary? 

Mrs. Maria Serka will be the new principal and I am excited for her to get
to enjoy this community. I have shared with her that there is no better
staff than the one at LFP. I have also shared with her that you can
never have a bad day at LFP. You can have a bad moment but all you need
to do is to step into a Kindergarten room to hear their funny stories or
go play four square at recess with 4th graders and your day will
instantly get better. The students, PTA, families, community, and staff
make LFP a very special place. Thank you for all of the incredible
memories!

From former colleague, Joanne Olson: Working with
Aimee for the past 17 years has been a real joy. I have been with the
Shoreline School District for 22 years and she was by far the best
principal I have worked for. She came to school each day with great
enthusiasm and smile greeting each student, parent and staff by name.
She always made everyone welcome. Her tireless dedication was beyond
exemplary. She was not just my principal, but also a friend andshe
will be missed. I am excited for her next chapter in life as I know she
will do an amazing job and leave a positive mark wherever she
goes.

From former colleague Jessica Hendrick: I have
worked with Aimee for 17 years. I was part of the interview team that
hired Aimee as the principal of LFP and it is a decision that I have
been proud of and thankful for every day! The quality that I admire most
about Aimee is her belief in work/life balance for the entire staff. 

She not only supported and encouraged all staff to take time for
ourselves and our families, but she modeled it herself. It is just one
of the many ways she helped LFP be such a positive community and place
to work. She truly cares about every person and you can see it and feel
it every day. One of my fondest memories of Aimee is also another one of
the qualities I admire about her. She has developed a style of shared
leadership at LFP because she believes that working as a team and
drawing from everyone's strengths is the most effective way to achieve
success. Over the past few years, Aimee, our psychologist Leslie, our
two reading specialist teachers Ingrid and Julianne, and myself, have
been presenting our model of literacy instruction at literacy
conferences statewide. We have seen amazing growth in our student
outcomes and it can all be traced back to the shared leadership and
believing in each staff member's expertise to contribute to the whole. I
want to thank Aimee for her energy, commitment, care, belief, and
support. LFP would not be the amazing school it is today without her! 

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