I have lived in the Lilburn community since 1985, and raised my three boys in the Parkview cluster. I truly love this community and all that it has to offer. Being appointed principal of Trickum Middle School is the most thrilling experience of my professional life, and I continually remind myself of the privilege of leading such a exceptional faculty and staff.
My undergraduate degree is from the University of Georgia, and I won't even mention the year. From UGA, I went to work in Cobb County for four years at Dodgen Middle School followed by four years at Walton High School. In 1983, I became a full-time stay-at-home mom and taught tennis lessons during my children's formative years. In 1996, I returned to the teaching profession, teaching three years at Dickerson Middle School in Cobb, followed by three years at Five Forks Middle (forgive me for being a Bronco for a short period; it wasn't easy). During this period, I earned my graduate degrees through the University of Alabama's Distance Learning Program. Next came Trickum, and an assistant principal position right here in my wonderful community. After six years as an assistant principal, I was appointed the principalship of Trickum in May of 2008.
Our focus at Trickum is centered around three pillars: meaningful collaboration, quality relationships, and engaged learning. As we make decisions, we filter our thinking through these essential principals. We must collaborate to make one another the best we can be. We must continue to emphasize the important on building quality relationships with all of our students. Finally, we must create a learning environment that is interesting, exciting, and meaningful to our students.
My goal is for Trickum to become a world class leaning organization where students find meaning in their learning. To be prepared for the 21st century, we must teach our students to apply, analyse, evaluate, and create. The days of memorizing facts and regurgitating information back to the teacher must be behind us. If we teach our students to think independently and solve problems, we will have prepared them to navigate the unknown world that stands before them.