While the hot summer season is still in full swing, summer break is nearly over for children preparing to attend Russellville Independent Schools, where faculty, staff and administrators are excited about welcoming students back to school.
“The beginning of the school year always brings a heightened level of excitement and joy due to the idea of helping our students start new chapters of their lives,” said new Russellville High School Principal Kim McDaniel.
School starts for RHS, Russellville Middle and Stevenson Elementary schools students on Tuesday, Aug. 7. Preschool-aged children attending Kaye W. Wilkins Early Childhood start classes Monday, Aug. 20.
Superintendent Leon Smith said his staff has “worked hard this summer in preparation for the new school year.”
“We are excited about our new staff and want to give them a warm welcome,” he said. “We are making a commitment to our students to come every day to work and provide the best educational environment that we possibly can to serve our students.”
New employees of the school district are:
• Morgan Basham, SES intermediate teacher
• Chris Tina Bell, SES cook
• Kathryn Crawford, RHS biology teacher
• Carla Criswell, RMS language arts teacher
• Kaylee Crowder, RMS math teacher
• Sara Gulley, SES special education teacher
• Nicole Pedigo, SES elementary teacher
• Pete Ries, Alternative Center for Education teacher
• Greg Shelton, RHS baseball coach and physical education teacher
• Linda Shelton, school district special education director
• Erin Stratton, Kaye W. Wilkins Early Childhood speech pathologist
• Nathan Thompson, RHS athletic director and golf coach
• Chelsey Veatch, RHS math teacher
• Megan Vincent, RHS English teacher
• Corey Waters, RHS history teacher
• Adrianne Watt, SES intermediate teacher
• Paige Winders, RHS special education teacher
• Sherry Wright, RHS cook
McDaniel said the RHS “school leadership team and site based decision making council have spent a great deal of time locating and recruiting what I believe is truly one of the most qualified groups of teachers and support staff members available.”
“I believe with certainty that an effective and caring teacher staff is the most influential and important factor on student achievement and growth,” she said, adding that her middle and high schools staff have “one common and driving vision – how can we impact our students daily to increase our students’ level of achievement and growth.”
Tammy Corum, SES principal, said her teachers are excited about the school year and have been busily preparing their classrooms.
Other exciting happenings at SES include the addition of a science lab; the offering of new keyboarding classes; the formation of a new related arts class featuring music, math and leadership; and a new focus on the Safe and Civil School initiative that emphasizes respect, anti-bullying and building student leadership.
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