Steve Stancliff
Steve Stancliff
Sisters High School Principal
Message: Sisters High School
Principal Steve Stancliff was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. After graduating from East Anchorage High School and spending a few years overseas in Spain and South America, he pursued a bachelor's degree in International Studies from Brigham Young University, and masters degrees in education policy and secondary teaching from the University of Alberta and Willamette University. Professionally, Steve began his career teaching Spanish and social studies at Redmond High School and the International School of the Cascades. He also served as a high school soccer coach and as the advisor to the Model United Nations program. Following his time in the classroom, Mr. Stancliff pursued opportunities in school administration serving as a dean of students and assistant principal at Ridgeview High School, and later as principal at Pilot Butte Middle School in Bend. Mr. Stancliff has been serving as the principal at Sisters High School since the fall of 2021.
When not attending the many fun activities and athletics events for Sisters High School, Mr. Stancliff can be found enjoying the outdoors with family and friends, He is particularly fond of winter activities such as playing hockey, skiing, and bird hunting with his dog Daphne. He also enjoys relaxing with a book or playing the guitar. The Stancliff family (wife Amy and four children) loves to travel, and they can often be found pursuing adventures abroad during the summer.
"The Outlaw spirit compels us to be bold, creative, and resolute as we build and pursue educational experiences that are both cutting edge and grounded in the vast array of experiences, relationships, and talents of our students, staff, and community members."
Sisters High School believes in an asset-based approach that pairs well with our district motto to “belong, prepare, and inspire”. An asset-based approach refers to the notion that we view our students not in terms of the deficits or gaps in their learning, but rather in terms of the unique knowledge, skills and talents they bring that enhance learning experiences for themselves and for their peers. An asset-based approach enhances a students’ sense of belonging because they know that their experiences and backgrounds are celebrated as a key part of the learning experience. When we honor students' social, cultural, and intellectual assets, their preparation can be seen as a process that is both years in the making and ongoing as opposed to a fragmented one that stutters along from one class or term to the next. Finally, we know that our ability to inspire students to leverage their learning experiences for their future is magnified when we help students center their own unique cultural and academic profile as a key part of their learning experiences.
In addition to this asset-based mindset that we have tried to cultivate, Sisters High School has a long tradition of what we refer to as a “place-based” model that emphasizes local resources and connections embedded into the curriculum and the learning opportunities. The value we place on this approach is rooted in our belief that students will be more likely to engage with the content of their course work when they can see how it connects to their community and local resources. We also want to continue the legacy in our school of students’ giving back to the community that supports us, and we feel that students are more likely to internalize this value when their learning is rooted in the spaces, resources, and people that surround them. Our school community is lucky to be surrounded by an abundance of rich natural resources and our staff works hard to take advantage of this for the benefit of our students and the broader community.