Dear Fell Family,
After a great deal of reflection, and heart-felt conversations with my family, I have shared with our School Board members that I will not be returning to the position of Principal/Chief Academic Officer for Fell this coming school year. Instead, I will be working with the School Board members to find and transition a new administrator into this role. A final date for this shift has not yet been determined, and there is much to do, as you can imagine. I am looking forward to working more closely with the School Board members as we continue to grow and develop our school.
The last 18 years at Fell have been my most fulfilling professional years! I have had the honor of guiding two generations of students onto their academic and life goals thanks to our school’s dedicated staff, families, and School Board members. I know how fabulous we are, because our graduates have been enrolling THEIR children in our school, and I get to say things like “You remind me of your Mom/Dad!”.
We have become the “go to charter elementary school” for students (and families) who want a challenging and welcoming environment, and a guarantee of future success. We have graduated students who have gone on to their first-choice high school, first choice college or military career, and we have students who have successfully transitioned to the workforce upon graduation from high school. Our students have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, financial aid, and sign-on bonuses! We make a difference every single day.
My decision was not without struggle. I love Fell Charter School. I love our students; they are the happiest group of little people. I love what we do every single day. I love the family atmosphere at our school and the culture of support, integrity, and passion for learning. I also know that right now, the next administrator is coming into a school that is rock-solid and ready to keep our mission going. We meet or exceed state requirements, have a charter twice renewed by the state, and have a School Board that understands the nuances of keeping us on track for success. Most importantly we have a staff that never stops working to enhance the lives of our students. The men and women at Fell truly believe in our students and they work harder to support our students than any staff I have worked with in my 27 years as a principal. Our staff is phenomenal!
I cannot express, in a short note, my gratitude and privilege for having been the Principal/CAO at Fell Charter School for the last 18 years! I could regale you with stories of triumph and failure, fun and sadness, gains and losses and stories of the men and women, graduates of Fell, who make me smile with just a quick email or phone call to say hello and bring me up to speed on their successes.
Instead let me offer a “Thank you” from the bottom or my heart; I have grown personally more than I ever thought possible; I have laughed and cried with you, not always agreed with you (but we did find common ground) and I have had the honor of handing your child a kindergarten or eighth grade diploma!
Through it all I still hold firm to my mantra (many of you know this one!); The Good Guys Always Win in the End!
I know many of you will have questions, and as always, we’re here to answer them. We will keep you informed of our progress in finding the ideal individual to step into this role and look forward to welcoming him/her to the Fell Family!
This is not an end; this is a new beginning for all of us!
Be well,
Miss Walsh