Wall Named 2009 Principal of the Year
Jones Named 2009 Assistant Principal of the Year
October 15, 2009 - The Wake County Public School System named John Wall of North Garner Middle School the 2009 Principal of the Year and Fay Jones of Forest Pines Drive Elementary the 2009 Assistant Principal of the Year in ceremonies this evening at the Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh. The awards ceremony is sponsored by Pierce Group Benefits, the Wake County Public School System and the Wake County Division of Principals and Assistant Principals.
 John A. Wall, Jr. North Garner Middle School |
John Wall, 2009 Principal of the Year
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 seeks to emphasize goal setting and implement strategies that positively impact student success.
“An effective principal should create environments that are challenging for students, supportive of teachers and welcoming to parents,” said Wall. “Effective communication and problem solving skills are essential.”
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.
Wall is active in his church, First Congregational Church in Raleigh, and in his fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
2009 Principal of the Year finalists include Mary Page of Bugg Elementary, Annice Williams of Barwell Road Elementary, Teresa Winstead of Durant Road Elementary and Edward McFarland of Fuquay-Varina High.
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Fay Jones, 2009 Assistant Principal of the Year
Jones has been in education for 15 years and has been assistant principal at Forest Pines Drive 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.
Forest Pines Drive teacher Cynthia Nanni calls Jones a problem solver.
“She uses creativity to find solutions when a problem or situation seems difficult to solve,” said Nanni. “Her ability to ‘think outside the box’ is a true asset to her leadership qualities. Ms. Jones is an advocate for the ideas and programs she believes would be beneficial to our school and is diligent in finding ways to make them happen.”
2009 Assistant Principal of the Year finalists include Melissa Blackmon of Willow Springs Elementary, Lisa Brown of Leesville Road Elementary, Christopher Coby of Wendell Middle and Robert Matheson of Apex High..
Awards presented
The 10 finalists will receive an acrylic award, and a rolling cart filled with office supplies 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 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.
Principals and assistant principals are nominated 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.
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