Leaving Is Never Easy

I have been the high school principal at Armorel School District for four years.  As of June 30th I will be the principal at Western Yell County.  Leaving a place is never easy!  As an educator you forge relationships with your staff, community, and mostly students.  The students are the hardest to say good bye to and let go of.  Armorel has been wonderful to me.  I am sorry for them that I had to cut my teeth as an administrator at this wonderful community. 

There are many people who I will miss as I leave here on to a new challenge and adventure at a wonderful school.  I am leaving a wonderful school as well.  Even though I have thanked my staff, students, fellow administrators, and community members directly they are certainly worth one more mention.  I spoke of Sally Bennett, the superintendent at Armorel in my blog earlier in the week.  She has been wonderful.  I have worked alongside two great educators in Teresa Lawrence who will replace me as high school principal and our elementary principal Joey Carr.  Everyone knows that a school does not run efficiently without a great administrative assistant.  I certainly had a great one in Mrs. Terry Tillman.  Thank you for your hard work and making my job as easy as possible.  I will miss you.

I spoke earlier of relationships that are forged in not only a school but any place of work.  I am going to speak of one particular person who would absolutely not want to be mentioned because of her modestly and humility.  Melissa Booker is the K-12 counselor at Armorel.  She is a wonderful person, mother, wife, and educator.  She is every principal's dream as a counselor and support person!  As all good school employees do she goes way beyond what is expected and is so much more than a counselor.  She is fantanstic at her job, loves kids, and has such a soft heart for them.  I spoke to regaining passion in my first blog post earlier in the week.  Melissa has such a passion for kids and what is right and fair to them.  She is a great advocate for students!  She is everything to everyone in a very small school district.  During my blog post earlier in the week I spoke of educators who have inspired me.  Mrs. Melissa Booker certainly fits into that category.  I knew I would write this post separate and thought she deserved a space to her own.  I can't thank her enough for the encouragement, support, and friendship she has afforded me over the past four years.  I will miss her greatly!

Thank you Armorel for a great four years I will always hold near and dear to my heart.