Meet the Principals

Meet Principal Michelle Trifunovic

Hello Hawks! A little about me... I grew up in Newport, a small town north of Spokane, on the Idaho border. I graduated from Newport High School in 1988 and attended Gonzaga University, where I majored in Spanish and History.

My career in education started at Holy Names Academy in Seattle, where I taught Spanish, History and World Religions. I became the Activities Coordinator and the Dean of Students. After ten years, I returned to public education, serving as Assistant Principal at Bremerton High School for two years. My family moved back to Seattle and I spent the next seven years at Edmonds-Woodway High School, as Assistant Principal for two years and Principal for five. In 2012, I moved to the Issaquah School District as the Executive Director of Middle School Education. In 2016, I was hired as the CKMS Principal.

I attended Seattle University for my Masters, Principal and Superintendent certifications.

I have three grown boys and my husband works in the Lake Washington School District as a para-educator. I enjoy reading, movies, music and sports. My husband and sons are huge basketball, soccer and Formula 1 fans.

Meet Assistant Principal Michelle Larson

Michelle is proud to be a CKMS Hawk and is excited to begin her fourth year as Assistant Principal at Chief Kanim Middle School!

She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a master’s degree from Pepperdine University. Michelle began her career in education teaching in both California and Nevada. In 2013, she and her family relocated to Washington to be closer to extended family. From 2013 to 2020, she served as both a teacher and Dean of Students at Sunset Elementary in the Issaquah School District, during which time she also earned her Principal Certificate from Seattle University.

Outside of school, Michelle enjoys spending time with her husband, their two children (currently in tenth and seventh grades), and their energetic dog, Julio. In 2021, her family embarked on a long-planned educational sabbatical, exploring over nine countries and immersing themselves in a variety of cultures around the world.