A Day in the Principal's Office

Submitted by Ann Decherd

Recently Denise Leeson and I participated in the Forsyth County Schools Principal for a Day program. The program gives staff from local businesses and organizations an opportunity to "walk in the shoes" of school principals for a half day. I was fortunate to spend the day as a "co-principal" with Daisy Tremps at Brandywine Elementary. I have been acquainted with Daisy for several years through her work for Literacy Forsyth and Leap Into Literacy events. She has worked tirelessly as an ESOL teacher for the county's underserved students in various high school and elementary schools. She has been at Brandywine for five years as an assistant principal, and this is her first as principal.  

Brandywine Elementary is in the southwest corner of the county and is served by the Post Road Library. The student population is 1200 students, with 86 full-time and part-time staff. As I visited the classrooms, I was struck by the low teacher-to-student ratio, with an average of 16 students a class.

I started my day working the car rider line. My visit was on a 'Fun Friday," so the students were greeted by lively music and teachers dressed up in silly accessories. I was informed that most students are car riders, and I believe it! The efficiency with which the staff got students out of their cars with a warm hello and a few hugs was amazing.  

Next, Principal Daisy and I were invited to keep the fun going with a dance party at one of the first grade classes. As they danced, they learned various grammar concepts. We then spent some time in a Music class, where Principal Tremps evaluated the teacher, and I enjoyed the bongo music. Brandywine is one of four schools in the county that offer a dual language immersion program. I also observed a team of two teachers providing instruction in Spanish and English, and watching children learn Science entirely in Spanish was fascinating. This program for K-4 is very popular, with a long waitlist. Next year they are hoping to add a class for fifth graders.

I next attended their monthly PTO meeting. As a former PTA president, I was impressed by the report that they had raised over $46,000 at their last fundraiser. Both parents and teachers were excited to plan the various upcoming activities, such as a heritage night, Christmas store, and book fair. Once the meeting was done, Assistant Principal Karolyn Fields asked me to attend her first student small group. She brought eight students from different classes in the fourth grade together to play games to illustrate what they had in common, even though they came from very different backgrounds and experiences.

It was a busy day, but I did manage to spend time with Brandywine's certified media specialist, Danielle Steele (yes, we had some fun with her name!). Having a certified media specialist in Forsyth County Schools is at the principal's discretion, and not all schools have one. Daisy feels it is essential that students are provided with the best literacy instruction possible. She is also grateful to have a professional on her staff as FCS navigates the recent material challenges.

I ended my day with a special lunch of chicken taquitos and elotes provided by the parents of former students. A few years back, while their students attended the school, the parents wanted to thank the school administration for their support. So, they hosted a lunch for the teachers featuring food from their culture. It was so popular that the tradition continued once a month. The food was delicious! 

My day at Brandywine reinforced my appreciation of FCS and its service to the county's children. I look forward to working with Daisy to strengthen a partnership in our mutual efforts to serve the underserved in our community.