Dear Jason Lee Parents,

Let me be the first to say  Welcome back to school!" And, if this is your first year at Jason Lee,  Welcome to our beautiful school!" I am honored to write my first official letter to all of you as the principal for Jason Lee Elementary! As many of you already know, my name is Kathy Page, and this is my 9th year as an administrator and my 21st year in education. Being selected as the new principal for Jason Lee Elementary made me feel as if I was returning home since I was a principal for Richland School District at an earlier point in my career. I must say I jumped at the opportunity to return to a favorite time and place in my life. It is my hope that through this letter you might gain an understanding of your child's new principal. I want you to feel welcome to stop by school whether it's to volunteer, have lunch with your child, or simply say hi.

As an educator I have always been intrigued by the learning process, and thoroughly enjoy immersing myself in the latest research. My experiences as a special and general educator, reading specialist, and elementary and middle school principal have provided me with invaluable opportunities to see public education from many vantage points. I try my best to walk away each day reflecting on the lessons learned and the memories made. As I have told the staffs I have worked with over the years, and believe in my heart as a principal, we are in the business of educating, but in that process we are making memories for our children. How will they look back on their childhood when they are adults? We need to make sure the memories of their elementary years are fond ones. As I reflect on my 20 years in education I realize I have learned, experienced, or witnessed many wonderful things that have shaped my beliefs about educational leadership.

•It takes one caring adult to change the course of a child's life for the better.
•Every day and in every way we are constantly learning, whether we are 6 years old or 60.
•The most important element of effective communication is listening.
•The saying,  They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" is a basic truth when working in education and can be applied to anywhere you go in life.
• Leadership is action, not position"
•The common bond that parents and teachers have is children. Our common denominator is children. All of us want the best for our kids, and it is something that needs to be the filter for every discussion, meeting, activity, and event.

I want to make the transition in leadership at Jason Lee as smooth as possible. I believe it is important for your children to know their principal and I will work hard to make sure that happens. So, how will I get to know your children? You will frequently find me at recess with the children or doing something called  Walk-Abouts" throughout Jason Lee. Simply put, it means I hold myself accountable for being a visible presence in the classrooms, hallways, and playground. Another one of the ways I will assist students in getting to know me will be through daily morning announcements that are both positive and informative. I hope you will take a close look in this issue for an announcement about Project Wisdom. Throughout the year I will be inviting students to be guest readers for the morning announcements as they share daily wisdom with the school. The overriding message is that each of us can choose how we approach our days, hopefully making a conscious choice to make them good ones.

I wanted to end by sharing with you one of my  defining moments" as a principal. It was an experience I had early in my career and it helped mold me as far as how I approach each day. In Tennessee a parent who had experienced some very tough times came to me and thanked me profusely for working with her on a difficult issue. She looked me in the eye and said,  Thank you for not being a suit". At that time I didn't fully understand what she meant, but today I wish I could contact her and thank her for those simple but powerful words. My hope is that you and your children will find me as approachable and easy to speak to and that you won't hesitate to contact me if you ever have questions, concerns, or you just want to share good news about our school.

I would like to close by once again telling you how much I am looking forward to working with the parents, students, and staff at Jason Lee Elementary. Thank you for the opportunity to work with your children. I am truly honored.

Sincerely,
Kathryn A. Page, Principal