The kids are all back to school now and getting adjusted to their new schedules, classes, and meeting new friends. Here in Briar Chapel, our families are meeting three new principals who are also getting adjusted to new schedules, relationships, and responsibilities. The 2018/2019 school year began with a new principal at Northwood High School, Margaret B. Pollard Middle School, and Perry Harrison Elementary. With so much change happening within our schools, we wanted to get to know the principals better. In this article, we will be meeting Dr. Bradford Walston, principal of Northwood High School.
The first year at a new school would seem to be an intimidating challenge. As the principal, you want to figure out what is currently working in the school, what changes need to be made and start building relationships with the faculty, staff, students and families. This takes a great deal of time and observation. Which is exactly what the new principal of Northwood High School, Dr. Bradford Walston is committed to doing. He feels that his best contribution to the school is being highly visible. The majority of his day is spent in classrooms, checking in on the daily instruction and offering support, if needed. He enjoys building personal relationships with the students and staff and gaining their respect. This sets a solid foundation for working relationships.
The top three areas of improvement that Dr. Walston will focus on in his first year are as follows: first, he will support the teachers with any necessary tools to ensure the success of the students. Next, he will provide opportunities for growth for all students outside of the four classes that they take each semester. His goal is to have every student involved in a club or extra-curricular activity that is outside of the regular school day. Lastly, he would like to focus on campus beautification. He wants the campus to be as welcoming and inviting as possible, as well as, provide students the opportunity to have instruction outside of the normal classroom.
Now, we get to learn some fun and interesting facts about Dr. Walston! His greatest accomplishment to date is that he finished his Doctorate at UNC Chapel Hill! That is certainly quite an accomplishment! Although he likes most foods, if he had to choose, he would pick pizza and macaroons. His favorite sports team is the Carolina Panthers. One interesting fact about him is that, in his very rare spare time, he enjoys carving wooden duck decoys!
Dr. Walston looks forward to connecting with the Charger’s community. As a community, we are thankful for such a wonderful addition to Northwood High School. We look forward to seeing what the future has in store for our students! Welcome, Dr. Walston!
