It’s like family

Posted Jul 3, 2018

I’m excited. I’m really excited. I feel really lucky to be the principal at Kempsville where I’ve been for six years because I get to look at it from a different lens – not just an A.P. lens, but now the principal lens. I know the people in the building and I know what our needs are, so I can hit the ground running. We’ve already started that; we’ve already planned the first week. I know the direction that we’ve talked about wanting to go and I know there are things that I’ve wanted to do, so now I have the opportunity to put those in place. So I’m excited. It’s a great school. The teachers – it’s like family.

What you like best about Kempsville?

The sense of community. I think that it’s a tight-knit group and they want to do what’s right for Kempsville. It’s not just about scores and data and all that. It’s about making sure people feel comfortable, making sure people feel welcome. They want to be here – you just get that feeling everywhere you go.

Do you have any favorite school memories of your own from when you were in school?

Maybe the best memory from high school is that’s where I met my husband. I was a sophomore and he was a senior and we’ve been together ever since – 30+ years. That was a really good memory.

I did have an English teacher in seventh grade and she set me on the path of loving English. And then, when I was a senior, I had Mrs. Hyman as an English teacher at Cox and I just fell in love with Shakespeare. That’s where I realized I could teach and help other people who didn’t understand it. I was tutoring my friends and helping them out. It set me on the path to want to be a teacher.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?

I don’t have any big plans for this summer. Last year my daughter got married so that consumed our summer, so this year we’re just laying low. I love to go the beach. We live near the bay. I love to go down there. We’ll anchor out and just float for hours, literally. I like to spend time with my family. My parents are just down the street so it’s nice to spend time with them and go visit my girls. My dog Elvis, I love to do anything with him. He’s my running buddy and we run in the morning together.

Is there anything else you’d want people to know about you?

I love what I do. I truly love…I wake up every morning happy to come to work. It’s not work; it’s just I love being here. It’s hard in the summertime when the kids aren’t here because it’s quiet. It’s a little weird feeling. But when they’re here, the school’s alive and I just love that pulse that the kids give it. I’m excited to be able to be the principal.

#WeAreVBSchools

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