Latest / The "Koalaty" Podcast / Koalaty Podcast September 18th 2026
Transcript
- 0:17SPEAKER_06: So my first question, well, my only question for you is if you could listen to one variety of music in the world, what would it be?
- 0:25SPEAKER_07: Oh, that would definitely be opera.
- 0:27SPEAKER_07: A little bit about me is I wanted to be an opera singer, so I went to school, yeah, for vocal performance and did it for quite some time and then decided I'd rather be a teacher.
- 0:36SPEAKER_07: That's so cool.
- 0:39SPEAKER_12: My question for you is what school did you go to in high school?
- 0:43SPEAKER_12: I went to Carol High School.
- 0:46SPEAKER_00: We'll be back with more questions.
- 0:47SPEAKER_14: We'll be back with more questions.
- 0:51SPEAKER_05: And we're back with more questions.
- 0:55SPEAKER_05: My question for you is why did you choose to be a principal?
- 1:01SPEAKER_07: Why did I choose to be a principal?
- 1:03SPEAKER_07: Um, so I am somebody who my parents got called all the time because I was in trouble.
- 1:10SPEAKER_07: And being that kid, I know and can relate with those who feel like they're always in trouble, and so I wanted to take a role of being a helper and helping navigate for the grown-ups and the kids because I was the kid that felt like they were always in trouble.
- 1:27SPEAKER_10: Um my follow-up question is why like why do you feel like you were the kid that was always in trouble?
- 1:42SPEAKER_07: So the reason I felt like I was the kid that was always in trouble is well, I gotta think.
- 1:47SPEAKER_07: A long time ago, just kind of like you guys, you know, you have testing that you have to do and things like that, and I just couldn't focus on the test.
- 1:55SPEAKER_07: My parents were concerned, my teachers were concerned, and nobody knew what was going on with me.
- 2:00SPEAKER_07: And then later on, I was found out that I had a learning disability, and so that kind of was the key to the puzzle or the puzzle piece to my puzzle.
- 2:09SPEAKER_07: And so that kind of helped me later on in life.
- 2:11SPEAKER_07: But when I was younger, when things were trying to get figured out, everybody was really struggling to figure out what was going on.
- 2:17SPEAKER_11: Uh, did you work at any other FWCS school other than Weiser Park?
- 2:21SPEAKER_07: Yes, I have been at Whitney Young, that's my only other FWCS school, and I was there for over 10 years.
- 2:27SPEAKER_11: What type of teacher were you there?
- 2:29SPEAKER_07: I was the music and movement teacher, which pretty much everybody that goes to Weiser Park currently, and if you went to Whitney Young, I taught you music and movement.
- 2:38SPEAKER_07: I don't think I've taught, I can't remember if I taught the first grade.
- 2:41SPEAKER_07: I think they would have been in pre-K, but I don't think I had the pleasure of teaching them.
- 2:45SPEAKER_05: Did you teach my sister Tatiana?
- 2:47SPEAKER_05: I did.
- 2:48SPEAKER_13: You know Kaya.
- 2:49SPEAKER_13: I do.
- 2:51SPEAKER_13: I do have a question for you.
- 2:52SPEAKER_13: Yeah, Veronica, go ahead.
- 2:54SPEAKER_13: Can you sing for us?
- 2:55SPEAKER_13: What do you want me to sing?
- 2:57SPEAKER_13: Just like anything random.
- 2:58SPEAKER_13: Anything random something?
- 3:00SPEAKER_13: Something you know.
- 3:00SPEAKER_07: Yay.
- 3:01SPEAKER_07: Oh, something I know.
- 3:02SPEAKER_07: Well, here, I'll just you do you want some opera?
- 3:04SPEAKER_07: Let me back the mic up.
- 3:05SPEAKER_07: Let me back the mic up.
- 3:06SPEAKER_07: Oh, oh Lord, I don't have a pitch though.
- 3:08SPEAKER_07: Oh no.
- 3:09SPEAKER_07: Oh no, the mic stands fun.
- 3:10SPEAKER_07: Let me put my foot on it.
- 3:11SPEAKER_07: Okay, if I blow your eardrums out, I'm very sorry.
- 3:14SPEAKER_07: Please be advised.
- 3:15SPEAKER_07: This is a headphone, headphone.
- 3:17SPEAKER_07: So I'll just sing you a little of omio babino, okay?
- 3:21SPEAKER_07: Caro.
- 3:22SPEAKER_07: Oh mio babino, carro.
- 3:26SPEAKER_07: But that's all we have time for that, and I'm not warmed up, so there you go.
- 3:32SPEAKER_12: I think both questions.
- 3:34SPEAKER_14: We'll be back with more questions from the quality podcast.
- 3:37SPEAKER_00: Hey quality listeners.
- 3:39SPEAKER_00: Are you enjoying today's episode of the Quality Podcast?
- 3:42SPEAKER_00: Well, are you, Suby?
- 3:44SPEAKER_00: Great.
- 3:45SPEAKER_00: We'd like to take a moment to thank our sponsor for this week's episode, the 51st annual Johnny Appleseed Festival.
- 3:53SPEAKER_00: Put your finger right here, because we're going to put the logo here.
- 3:55SPEAKER_00: Yes, the 51st annual Johnny Appleseed Festival this weekend at the Allen County Warmacot War Memorial Coliseum.
- 4:02SPEAKER_00: Subi, have you ever been?
- 4:04SPEAKER_00: Great! You can find a hundred different booths featuring pioneers, the famous Sasaparilla and Root Beer, and maybe even see the man himself, Johnny Appleseed.
- 4:14SPEAKER_00: Visit the 51st Annual Johnny Appleseed Festival this weekend at the Allen County Warmacot War Memorial Coliseum.
- 4:25SPEAKER_09: Hello.
- 4:26SPEAKER_09: I'm here with Miss Emily, and we have questions.
- 4:31SPEAKER_09: More questions.
- 4:33SPEAKER_09: Okay, so what is your favorite part about being a principal and what do you do?
- 4:40SPEAKER_07: My favorite part, and just clarification, assistant principal.
- 4:43SPEAKER_07: So I'm a junior principal, I guess you could say.
- 4:45SPEAKER_07: And my favorite part, I would say, would be supporting students and staff and helping people, whether that be someone calls and they just need a break, or whether that means figuring out problems for people, I would say that is my favorite part for staff and students.
- 5:00SPEAKER_07: Yeah.
- 5:01SPEAKER_09: My question is if you could be anything else than an assistant principal, what would you be?
- 5:10SPEAKER_07: Ooh, that's a tough one.
- 5:11SPEAKER_07: Well, back to the singing.
- 5:12SPEAKER_07: If I could be anything else, I would be a world-famous opera singer and I would travel all over the world and sing opera to millions of people.
- 5:21SPEAKER_09: What is the most hardest thing about being principal?
- 5:26SPEAKER_07: I would say the hardest thing about being principal is when people make poor choices, and then I have to use the code of conduct and kind of navigate what should be the outcome of that.
- 5:38SPEAKER_07: Sometimes that's really not fun to do and see my friends kind of struggle.
- 5:44SPEAKER_09: That sounds hard.
- 5:46SPEAKER_09: What made you be assistant principal?
- 5:51SPEAKER_07: Well, I fell in love with Weiser Park, and when I was down at Whitney Young, I really enjoyed the program.
- 5:57SPEAKER_07: And so the spot for an assistant principal opened here at Weiser, and I applied because I believe in the program here and I love what we do at Weiser Park.
- 6:05SPEAKER_07: And once a koala, always a koala.
- 6:09SPEAKER_11: Thank you.
- 6:10SPEAKER_11: And we'll be back with more questions.
- 6:15SPEAKER_11: What is your favorite part about this school?
- 6:18SPEAKER_07: I would say, and no shade to the my former where I attended, but my favorite part about this school is all the opportunities.
- 6:26SPEAKER_07: Because when I was in an elementary school, I didn't get the opportunity to do bands or sprint strings.
- 6:31SPEAKER_07: I had to wait until I was in middle school.
- 6:33SPEAKER_07: Also, we have show choir here.
- 6:35SPEAKER_07: We get to do plays, musicals.
- 6:37SPEAKER_07: Those are all things that I did not get to do until I was in secondary, like middle school and high school.
- 6:41SPEAKER_07: Those weren't things that I was able to do.
- 6:43SPEAKER_07: And I think that's just so amazing.
- 6:45SPEAKER_07: And also the Steam Lab, I did not have that when I was in elementary school.
- 6:48SPEAKER_07: That's something that's very unique to Weiser Park, and I love that about our program.
- 6:55SPEAKER_12: So, how long have we been working at Weiser Park?
- 6:57SPEAKER_07: So this would be the start of my second year as the assistant principal, and then the year before that, Mrs.
- 7:02SPEAKER_07: Plum asked me to come be the arts coordinator.
- 7:05SPEAKER_07: So I did arts a year of arts coordination, and then I've been here for two years as your assistant principal.
- 7:14SPEAKER_15: I won't be back with more questions.
- 7:17SPEAKER_08: We're back with more questions for Ms.
- 7:19SPEAKER_08: Hall.
- 7:21SPEAKER_08: So if you could teach any specials, what would you teach?
- 7:25SPEAKER_07: A special?
- 7:26SPEAKER_07: Oh my goodness, that's hard.
- 7:28SPEAKER_07: I would say I would probably dabble in some podcasting like Mr.
- 7:32SPEAKER_07: Martel.
- 7:33SPEAKER_07: I also probably would dabble in drama.
- 7:36SPEAKER_07: Now, I did used to teach music.
- 7:38SPEAKER_07: I'd probably dabble in some music again.
- 7:40SPEAKER_07: But you know, the nice thing about Weiser Park is I could invent a class for you guys to take that would put all three together.
- 7:49SPEAKER_14: My question for you is what do you do when you're not at school, like for activities?
- 7:55SPEAKER_07: Oh well, well, before I had kids, I used to bike all the time, kayak, and now I I mean, I don't know if you guys remember this.
- 8:03SPEAKER_07: I had a baby in December, so she takes up a lot of my time as well as my son.
- 8:07SPEAKER_07: But other things that I've done when I'm not at school, I've been on the 14 children's choir board, but again, I had kids, so took a step back from that.
- 8:15SPEAKER_07: But I just enjoy being outside, walking my dog.
- 8:18SPEAKER_07: You'll find me walking my dog.
- 8:19SPEAKER_07: I have people see me in the neighborhood all the time, like going to the park, things like that, going to the zoo.
- 8:25SPEAKER_14: And one more thing.
- 8:27SPEAKER_14: Can you say stay quality?
- 8:30SPEAKER_07: Stay quality.
- 8:33SPEAKER_04: Hello, quality listeners.
- 8:35SPEAKER_04: It is the time you've been finally waiting for the interview with our new principal, Miss Thompson.
- 8:44SPEAKER_04: So, who wants to do their question first?
- 8:48SPEAKER_04: Do you, Ali?
- 8:49SPEAKER_03: Oh, Evelyn.
- 8:50SPEAKER_03: Okay, I have a question for you.
- 8:52SPEAKER_03: Yes, Evelyn.
- 8:53SPEAKER_03: What is your opinion about pickles?
- 8:56SPEAKER_03: Pickles.
- 8:57SPEAKER_01: Depends on what kind.
- 9:00SPEAKER_01: I really like dill pickles.
- 9:02SPEAKER_01: Okay.
- 9:02SPEAKER_01: Uh, especially like the small little ones.
- 9:05SPEAKER_01: Those are really good.
- 9:07SPEAKER_01: Sweet pickles.
- 9:08SPEAKER_01: Not really a big fan of those.
- 9:10SPEAKER_01: Spicy pickles are good too, though.
- 9:12SPEAKER_01: What's your favorite?
- 9:14SPEAKER_01: I don't really have a favorite.
- 9:15SPEAKER_04: Do you have a favorite pickle?
- 9:17SPEAKER_04: No.
- 9:18SPEAKER_04: Dill pickles are the best.
- 9:20SPEAKER_01: Dill pickles are the best, I agree.
- 9:22SPEAKER_04: Well, now it's time for my question.
- 9:25SPEAKER_04: Do you have a favorite fist grater by chance?
- 9:28SPEAKER_01: Oh, a favorite fist grader.
- 9:35SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
- 9:36SPEAKER_01: Nobody's nobody's ringing a bell.
- 9:39SPEAKER_01: You sure?
- 9:39SPEAKER_01: Yeah, can you help me out?
- 9:41SPEAKER_04: Um, well, there's like me.
- 9:44SPEAKER_04: Um, I think that's the only one worthy.
- 9:47SPEAKER_04: There's me over here.
- 9:50SPEAKER_04: Should I have a favorite fifth grader?
- 9:52SPEAKER_01: Yeah, probably not, but I can't say if I do have a favorite fifth grader, although Jenori might be in top ten.
- 10:02SPEAKER_00: Okay.
- 10:02SPEAKER_00: All right, Evelyn, you have your serious question now.
- 10:05SPEAKER_03: What is your favorite thing about being the principal at Weiser Park?
- 10:09SPEAKER_01: Oh, my favorite thing about being the principal at Weiser Park is coming in and seeing you guys do all of these things that make Weiser Park so special.
- 10:18SPEAKER_01: So being in podcasting, the fifth grade musical, I love seeing everything you guys do in the Steam Lab and everything we do for the community.
- 10:27SPEAKER_01: Um, I just love that you guys get to showcase who you are as kids.
- 10:32SPEAKER_01: It makes me really happy every day.
- 10:34SPEAKER_00: I like your serious question.
- 10:38SPEAKER_04: Like, what is your favorite like season at Weiser Park?
- 10:42SPEAKER_04: Like, that has like the most activities that you like.
- 10:46SPEAKER_01: Oh, that one's hard because we really do stuff all year long.
- 10:50SPEAKER_01: Um I do like our I'll say first semester.
- 11:00SPEAKER_01: Not really a season.
- 11:01SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna say first semester because we have our fifth grade musical that we do in first semester, and then we have our fourth grade Thanksgiving Day parade, and then we also have our winter fest, so I feel like I get to see everybody who's involved is involved in something within those three events.
- 11:22SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that is a good like quarter or semester.
- 11:25SPEAKER_04: Yes.
- 11:27SPEAKER_00: Go ahead.
- 11:28SPEAKER_00: Do you want me to close it?
- 11:30SPEAKER_04: You can.
- 11:30SPEAKER_00: All right, that was our first round of questions.
- 11:33SPEAKER_00: Stay tuned for more.
- 11:35SPEAKER_02: We're back with more questions with Miss Thompson.
- 11:39SPEAKER_02: So the first question is a series question.
- 11:44SPEAKER_03: And it's um, if you could have a like different job and it would be at the school, what would it be?
- 11:51SPEAKER_03: Oh, and it would be at the school.
- 11:55SPEAKER_01: Hmm.
- 12:01SPEAKER_01: That's a hard one because I really like my job at the school.
- 12:05SPEAKER_01: Um, if I could have a different job though, I would say I would love to have Miss Baester or Miss Lamaster's job because I used to be in Cho Choir when I was a kid, and I would love to be able to sing with kids all day.
- 12:24SPEAKER_02: Um, do you like being principal?
- 12:28SPEAKER_01: I love being principal.
- 12:29SPEAKER_01: It has been one of my dream jobs since I was in about third grade.
- 12:34SPEAKER_03: Nice.
- 12:34SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
- 12:36SPEAKER_00: All right, Rebray, you get your silly question.
- 12:38SPEAKER_03: Um to my silly question, well, it's not really like silly, but like, what do you think is like the most like calmest, like chillest grade?
- 12:49SPEAKER_01: Oh, the most calmest, chillest grade.
- 12:54SPEAKER_01: Um right now I'm gonna say it's probably the second graders this year.
- 13:04SPEAKER_01: They're pretty calm and chill.
- 13:08SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 13:10SPEAKER_02: Um do you?
- 13:19SPEAKER_03: Um She doesn't have a list.
- 13:28SPEAKER_00: Think about what would be a good open-ended question.
- 13:32SPEAKER_02: If you would be like a teacher for like a certain grade, what like grade would you want to teach?
- 13:40SPEAKER_01: Well, I have taught a lot of different grades.
- 13:43SPEAKER_01: So I have taught kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and then I taught sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, and I taught high school for a little bit, and I never want to go back to high school after I really liked first grade.
- 14:03SPEAKER_01: That was probably my favorite grade because kids are just learning how to read, and it's really an amazing feeling watching a kid understand how to read and see that just click.
- 14:14SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
- 14:15SPEAKER_00: Remember, say thank you.
- 14:17SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
- 14:18SPEAKER_02: You're welcome being here.
- 14:21SPEAKER_02: You're very welcome.
- 14:22SPEAKER_02: We'll be back with more questions.
- 14:23SPEAKER_02: We'll be back with more questions.
- 14:26SPEAKER_00: Beautiful.
- 14:28SPEAKER_12: Okay, um, I have a silly question to ask.
- 14:31SPEAKER_12: Uh, what's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
- 14:34SPEAKER_01: Oh, hmm.
- 14:35SPEAKER_01: The weirdest thing I've ever eaten is called durian.
- 14:41SPEAKER_01: And it's a fruit from Asia.
- 14:45SPEAKER_01: Um, I had it when I was in Singapore, and there's signs up all over in their country that says you're not allowed to eat it in public spaces because it smells horrendously bad.
- 14:56SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's supposed to be a delicacy, so you either love it or you hate it.
- 15:00SPEAKER_01: I did not go to the love it part.
- 15:03SPEAKER_01: I had to choke it down and thought I was gonna throw up.
- 15:05SPEAKER_01: Um, but it was it was very interesting.
- 15:08SPEAKER_01: Okay.
- 15:09SPEAKER_01: If you could choose, would you rather have a pit bull or a grayhound as a dog?
- 15:16SPEAKER_01: A pit bull or a grayhound?
- 15:21SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm not sure.
- 15:25SPEAKER_01: Probably a pit bull.
- 15:27SPEAKER_01: I have a pit bull.
- 15:28SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 15:29SPEAKER_01: Pit bulls are pretty cool and chill most of the time.
- 15:32SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 15:32SPEAKER_01: But I know that if I need them to, they'll get somebody for me.
- 15:36SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 15:36SPEAKER_01: Greyhounds are really, really fast though.
- 15:38SPEAKER_01: So if it got out of my house, I wouldn't be able to chase it down.
- 15:40SPEAKER_11: Yeah.
- 15:41SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
- 15:42SPEAKER_11: And then remember what we always tell our viewers stay.
- 15:46SPEAKER_11: Stay holy!
- 15:52SPEAKER_00: All right.
- 15:53SPEAKER_00: What a great show today, guys.
- 15:55SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 15:56SPEAKER_00: So we had fourth grade interview, Mrs.
- 15:59SPEAKER_00: Hall, Miss Emily.
- 16:01SPEAKER_00: And we had our fifth graders interview, Mrs.
- 16:04SPEAKER_00: Thompson.
- 16:05SPEAKER_00: How do you think it went?
- 16:07SPEAKER_15: I think it went a little good.
- 16:10SPEAKER_15: I think it went good.
- 16:12SPEAKER_00: Alright.
- 16:12SPEAKER_00: Now, you guys are closing our show out today, and you are in second grade.
- 16:18SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 16:18SPEAKER_00: Yes.
- 16:19SPEAKER_00: Who are you at the end in the blue chair?
- 16:21SPEAKER_15: Lena.
- 16:22SPEAKER_00: Who's in the middle?
- 16:23SPEAKER_15: Milo.
- 16:24SPEAKER_00: And who are you?
- 16:25SPEAKER_15: Isabel.
- 16:26SPEAKER_00: How are you guys doing today?
- 16:27SPEAKER_15: Good.
- 16:28SPEAKER_15: Good.
- 16:29SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 16:30SPEAKER_00: What um what how was Ficture Day today?
- 16:33SPEAKER_15: It was fun.
- 16:34SPEAKER_15: Good.
- 16:35SPEAKER_00: Did you take a good picture?
- 16:36SPEAKER_15: Yes.
- 16:37SPEAKER_15: I think so.
- 16:38SPEAKER_00: Did you smile?
- 16:39SPEAKER_15: Yeah.
- 16:39SPEAKER_15: I think so.
- 16:40SPEAKER_00: Okay, you think so?
- 16:42SPEAKER_00: Alright.
- 16:43SPEAKER_00: Um, what are you excited for Johnny Appleseed this weekend?
- 16:46SPEAKER_15: Yes.
- 16:47SPEAKER_00: Did you know Johnny Appleseed is our official sponsor of the Quality Podcast this week?
- 16:51SPEAKER_11: No.
- 16:52SPEAKER_00: Well, if if you watch, but everybody.
- 16:54SPEAKER_00: But we are very happy that they are, right?
- 16:56SPEAKER_15: Yes.
- 16:57SPEAKER_15: I have not been to beer.
- 16:58SPEAKER_00: You've never been?
- 16:59SPEAKER_15: Well, I have, but not in a long time.
- 17:01SPEAKER_00: I like going and getting the root beer.
- 17:03SPEAKER_00: Do you like root beer?
- 17:04SPEAKER_15: We can have root beer.
- 17:05SPEAKER_15: We have root beer.
- 17:08SPEAKER_15: You've never you don't know what root beer is?
- 17:10SPEAKER_00: I've had root beer before.
- 17:11SPEAKER_00: You've had root beer before?
- 17:12SPEAKER_15: I do, but I never.
- 17:14SPEAKER_00: Do you know what they serve?
- 17:15SPEAKER_00: They serve sarsaparilla.
- 17:16SPEAKER_15: What is that?
- 17:18SPEAKER_00: A cold sarsaparilla.
- 17:20SPEAKER_06: What's a sass sarsaparilla?
- 17:22SPEAKER_00: It's like an old timey like soda.
- 17:24SPEAKER_06: Oh.
- 17:25SPEAKER_06: Not what I expected.
- 17:27SPEAKER_00: Alright.
- 17:28SPEAKER_00: Well, we hope everyone goes to the Johnny Appleseed Festival this weekend.
- 17:32SPEAKER_00: Um Isabel, do you think everyone should stay quality?
- 17:37SPEAKER_15: Yeah.
- 17:37SPEAKER_00: Why don't you say it for us?
- 17:39SPEAKER_15: Stay quality.
- 17:40SPEAKER_15: Hi.
- 17:41SPEAKER_00: Milo, tell us to stay quality.
- 17:42SPEAKER_15: Stay quality, right?
- 17:44SPEAKER_00: Lena, tell them to stay quality.
- 17:45SPEAKER_15: Stay quality.
- 17:47SPEAKER_00: The Quality Podcast is recorded, edited, and made at Weiser Park Elementary, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
- 17:53SPEAKER_00: You can find out more information by visiting thecoalitypodcast.com or checking out any of our social channels.
- 18:01SPEAKER_00: You can also find us on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon Music.
- 18:05SPEAKER_00: Remember, prime listeners can listen ad free on Amazon Music.
- 18:10SPEAKER_00: Remember, support your local schools.
- 18:12SPEAKER_00: Visit FortranCommunity Schools.org to check out more information and all the amazing things.
- 18:17SPEAKER_00: And remember to stay quiet.
- 18:21SPEAKER_04: Wow.