2009 Principal of the Year Finalists
October 12, 2009 – There are five finalists for the Wake County Public School System Principal of the Year and the Assistant Principal of the Year. A celebration naming the Wake County Principal of the Year and Assistant Principal of the Year will be held at the Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh Thursday night, October 15.
Principals and assistant principals are nominated for this honor by their peers. Each finalist is required to submit a portfolio, receive a site visit, and is interviewed by a panel of educators and community members.
Principal of the Year finalists
2009 Principal of the Year finalists include Mary Page of Bugg Elementary, Annice Williams of Barwell Road Elementary, Teresa Winstead of Durant Road Elementary, John Wall of North Garner Middle and Edward McFarland of Fuquay-Varina High.
Here is information about each of the finalists:
Mary Page, Bugg Magnet Elementary
Page has been in education for 37 years and has been principal at Bugg Magnet Elementary for eight years. Prior to that, she was an assistant principal at Washington Elementary, an administrator in a Virginia school district and a teacher in Virginia, Colorado and with the Department of Defense.
Page was principal of Bugg when it was the National Magnet School of the Year in 2004 and assistant principal at Washington Elementary when it was the National Magnet School of the Year in 2003.
Page says it’s important for her school to share information with parents so they can help their children.
“Parents were invited to come to Grade Level Nights during the school year and to End of Grade Power Nights during the last six weeks before testing in May,” said Page. “Teachers showed parents how the concepts were being taught at school and gave them materials to continue to assist their children at home. These events were well attended by parents.”
Parents Malcolm and Marsha Pharr say that Page provides encouragement to students, faculty, staff and parents.
“She has a gift of knowing when to nurture and knowing when to push,” said the Pharrs. “Mrs. Page has undoubtedly made a positive impact on hundreds of children that will last a lifetime. She embodies what we want for our children - the desire to achieve.”
Annice Williams, Barwell Road Elementary
Williams has been in education for 16 years and has been principal at Barwell Road Elementary for three years. Prior to that, she was principal and assistant principal of Green Elementary, an administrator at Rolesville Elementary and a teacher at Powell Elementary.
Williams earned her doctorate at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2005 and was a NC Principal Fellow at UNC in 1998.
Williams says the school has focused on the collection and analysis of student data.
“We have implemented a Universal Screening process and invested in Aimsweb software to monitor student progress in reading and math and address lagging growth immediately,” said Williams. “The use of this software provides me the ability to quickly view the progress of individuals, groups, classes and grade levels and use that information to plan distribution of resources and support.”
Paul Linton was a student a Green Elementary when Williams was principal there.
“As an autistic boy entering the mainstream classroom environment, I had special challenges to overcome. She showed leadership, not only by helping me to be successful, but also by helping others to accept me for who I am,” said Linton. “I am currently a freshman at NC State University, where I am one of only a dozen autistic students, a place where I can honestly say I would not be without her help and support.”
Teresa Winstead, Durant Road Elementary
Winstead has been in education for 26 years and has been principal at Durant Road Elementary for six years. Prior to that, she was assistant principal, and teacher at Durant Road Middle and a teacher at North Ridge Elementary, Wake Forest-Rolesville High and Cary High.
Winstead attended a training in December 2003 on professional learning teams.
“I left that training feeling that I had walked right into the process that would transform my school,” said Winstead. “This began a two year journey to build the foundation of a collaborative learning and teaching culture at Durant. This was my greatest lesson in the process of implementing change in our school.”
Area Superintendent Ann Hooker first met Winstead when Hooker was a teacher at Martin Junior High and Winstead was a student. Later Hooker hired Winstead as a teacher at North Ridge Elementary.
“It is very difficult to put into words how proud I am to see Ms. Winstead reach this milestone in her career,” said Hooker. “She has done a phenomenal job throughout her career. Her innovativeness and her genuine concern for all children to be successful are exemplary.”
John Wall, North Garner Middle
Wall has been in education for 22 years and has been principal at North Garner Middle for four years. Prior to that, he was principal and assistant principal at Zebulon Middle and a teacher at Carnage Middle. Earlier he taught in New York.
Wall says a focus on data is a key toward understanding the needs of students.
“I have created an Academic Intervention Model that provides students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency on grade level goals and objectives and to complete missing work,” said Wall. “If students perform poorly on assessments or fail to turn in assignments, they are required to attend a study hall where a certified teacher works with them to ensure competency or work compliance. We also created monthly enhancement days to create a structure to re-teach struggling students or to enrich students who mastered the material. These enhancement days revolve around the data collected from common formative assessments in reading and math.”
Fellow principal Jennifer Carnes of Wilburn Elementary says Wall entered the field of education to help students.
“I have witnessed Mr. Wall tutoring students in his office, trying to help them understand concepts with which they are struggling. He also helps students understand and learn from their mistakes,” said Carnes. “John Wall is a strong administrator who does not just talk about helping students, but puts his words into action every day.”
Wall was a finalist for Wake County Principal of the Year in 2004; Mentor of the Year by the Helping Hands Program; and served as president of the Wake County Division of Principals and Assistant Principals.
Edward McFarland, Fuquay-Varina High
McFarland has been in education for 15 years and has been principal at Fuquay-Varina High for three years. Prior to that, he’s worked as a WCPSS Human Resources senior director, adjunct teacher at Vance-Granville Community College, principal of Aversboro Elementary, assistant principal of Middle Creek Elementary and worked as band director at three NC high schools. He’s currently working on his doctorate in education at NC State University.
McFarland has earned a Goodmon Fellow Award from Leadership Triangle and was named Outstanding District Educator by the NC PTA in 2007.
McFarland has focused on differentiated instruction as the vehicle for increasing student engagement, learning and overall achievement at his school.
“I have offered and supported staff development on our campus using national presenters, central services support and our own professional staff to focus our teaching planning and delivery,” said McFarland. “Some of the best examples of good teaching exist right here in our school. As the principal, I ensure there is sustained thinking and learning about differentiation on our campus.”
Student Shane Lympany praised McFarland’s innovations.
“Mr. McFarland hosted a summit at our school to develop strategies to improve community involvement in the town’s school,” said Lympany. “Wake County Public School System leaders, Fuquay-Varina town officials, community business people and parents attended this summit to lay out a vision for a community partnership with Fuquay-Varina area schools.”
2009 Principal of the Year finalists photos
 Mary Page Bugg Elementary |
 Annice Williams Barwell Road Elementary |
 Teresa Winstead Durant Road Elementary |
 John Wall North Garner Middle |
 Edward McFarland Fuquay-Varina High |
Assistant Principal of the Year Finalists
2009 Assistant Principal of the Year finalists include Melissa Blackmon of Willow Springs Elementary, Lisa Brown of Leesville Road Elementary, Fay Jones of Forest Pines Elementary, Christopher Coby of Wendell Middle and Robert Matheson of Apex High.
Here is information about each of the finalists:
Melissa Blackmon, Willow Springs Elementary
Blackmon has been in education 12 years and has been assistant principal at Harris Creek Elementary for four years. Prior to that, Blackmon was an assistant principal who split time between Willow Springs Elementary and Baucom Elementary. She was an administrative intern at Davis Drive and worked as an adapted physical education specialist for the school system.
Lisa Brown, Leesville Road Elementary
Brown has been in education for 18 years and has been assistant principal at Leesville Road Elementary for five years. Prior to that, Brown served as instructional resource teacher at Lynn Road Elementary and a teacher at Morrisville Elementary and Wilburn Elementary. She also served as a Fulbright Fellow in England for a year.
Edna Fay Jones, Forest Pines Elementary
Jones has been in education for 15 years and has been assistant principal at Forest Pines Elementary for five years. Prior to that, Jones has served as an assistant principal and teacher who split time between Green Hope Elementary, Adams Elementary and Farmington Woods Elementary. She also worked as a teacher at Farmington Woods Elementary and West Lake Elementary.
Christopher Coby, Wendell Middle
Coby has been in education for 18 years and has been assistant principal at Wendell Middle for one year. Prior to that, Coby served as assistant principal, assistant principal intern and in-school suspension coordinator of Heritage Middle. He was a teacher at Heritage Elementary and Wake Forest Elementary.
Robert Matheson, Apex High School
Matheson has been in education for 27 years and has been assistant principal at Apex High for five years. Prior to that, Matheson served as intervention coordinator, teacher and summer school coordinator at Apex High. He was a teacher at Broughton High, a teaching assistant at NC State University and an educational coordinator at the NC Biotechnology Center.
2009 Assistant Principal of the Year finalists photos
 Melissa Blackmon Willow Springs Elementary |
 Lisa Brown Leesville Road Elementary |
 Fay Jones Forest Pines Elementary |
 Christopher Coby Wendell Middle |
 Robert Matheson Apex High |
Awards presented finalists
The 10-finalists will receive an acrylic award, and an executive padfolio compliments of Office Depot. The principal finalists will receive a monetary award that was made possible by Hunt Ward, Lifetouch Studios. And each assistant principal finalist will receive a monetary award that was made possible by Jubal Stagner and Kim Trezona of Jostens.
The Principal of the Year will receive a $1,000 check compliments of Hunt Ward of Lifetouch Studios as well as a rolling cart filled with miscellaneous office supplies and a HP Deskjet combination printer/scanner/copier compliments of Sonya Reid of Office Depot. The Principal of the Year’s school will receive a $500.00 monetary award compliments of Michael Strawbridge, Strawbridge Studios.
The Assistant Principal of the Year will receive a $500 check, compliments of Jubal Stagner and Kim Trezona of Jostens as well as a rolling cart filled with miscellaneous office supplies and a HP Deskjet combination printer/scanner/copier compliments of Sonya Reid of Office Depot.
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