New Sellersville Elementary principal ready to get into the classroom
Newly appointed Sellersville Elementary School Principal Sarah Baker has EHHn Rn WKH MRE IRr lHss WKDn a week, but she’s already looking forward to getting into the classrooms.
“Pennridge has such a good academic program and strong reputation. I’m looking forward to instructional leadership — to getting in the classroom with the teachers and students,” she said.
Before coming to Sellersville, Baker served as principal at Ferguson Elementary in vork, Pa., for seven years. She had to wear many hats due to furloughs, working as a principal, guidance counselor and support staff.
“If you weren’t a classroom teacher, you were furloughed,” she said. “We had no support staff, so I had to GR sR PDny GiIIHrHnW MREs. At Sellersville, I’ll be able to focus on instructional leadership — going into classrooms, knowing what’s going on and interacting with teachers and students. I can focus on helping to implement curriculum, which I wasn’t able to do at Ferguson.”
Instructional learning will also be her biggest challenge, Baker said. With more free time to focus on her role as principal, Baker will have WR GHfinH wKDW WKDW PHDns WR her and to Sellersville.
“I’m going to focus on instruction, and have to realize that’s something I’ll be doing,” she said. “I’ll have the time to do instructional leading, and I need to decide how to use that time to benHfiW WKH sFKRRl.”
Baker said she admires Pennridge’s high standard of academic success and is dedicated to continuing it in the future, as well as building on the foundation Sellersville already has in place.
“There’s a great foundation for programs and support here,” she said. “I’m going to bring in everything I learned from Ferguson and really take things to the next level.”
Included in that is the Schoolwide Effective Behavior Supports, with which Baker is familiar. SWEBS is a proactive program designed to support appropriate school behavior for all students, Baker said.
During her time as principal at Ferguson Elementary, Baker’s school underwent a EiJ EuilGinJ SrRMHFW.
“We knocked down our elementary school and then EuilW WKH firsW LHDGHrsKiS in Energy & Environmental DHsiJn SlDWinuP-FHrWifiHG school in the state,” she said. “7KDW wDs D EiJ SrRMHFW WKDW I’m very proud of.”
She also oversaw the creation of parent involvement opportunities.
“I made sure there were a lot of different ways to get involved,” Baker said. “Parents today have such different schedules, and not everyone can volunteer in the usual way. I want to make sure everyone has a chance to get involved in the school.”
As the summer winds down, Baker said she hopes students are ready to return to school to learn — and have fun doing it.
“I want students to come back in September ready to work really hard, and see WKH EHnHfiWs RI WKDW KDrG wRrN,” sKH sDiG. “LHDrninJ is fun, but it’s also very purposeful. I think kids miss that purpose sometimes. I wDnW WKHP WR HnMRy sFKRRl, and understand the longrDnJH EHnHfiWs RI wRrNinJ hard in school.”