Administrators adjust to jobs

By KELLY RICHARDSON

Jill Pickett

Elizabethtown High School assistant principal B.J. Henry speaks with librarian Jo Bailey about a distance education program at the school Thursday.

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Jill Pickett

Elizabthtown High School assistant principal B.J. Henry speaks with Doug Barnes, dean of students, in her office Thursday afternoon.

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krichardson@thenewsenterprise.com

HARDIN COUNTY — New assistant principals are settling into their new positions at almost a quarter of the schools in Hardin County this year. Four of the new administrators are walking the halls in the Hardin County Schools system, along with one who has moved from a part-time to a full-time position. Two others are in the Elizabethtown Independent Schools.

B.J. Henry is a part-time assistant principal at Elizabethtown High School, Alison Gregory has moved into the position at North Hardin High School, Linda Reed is now assistant principal at Lincoln Trail Elementary School, Beth Brandenburg is at Meadow View Elementary School, Joe Nepi has stepped into the role at T.K. Stone Middle School and Angela Pike is at Lakewood Elementary School. Stace McElfresh is in the position full-time now at John Hardin High School.

Brandenburg previously was curriculum coordinator at Bluegrass Middle School, and the position at Meadow View was a chance to go back to the elementary level. She had taught at Vine Grove Elementary School.

“It was a way for me to get back to my elementary roots,” she said.

Gregory previously was in charge of curriculum and instruction and the gifted and talented program at John Hardin. She said the assistant principal position gave her a chance to help more students by helping more teachers.

“I really want to be an instructional leader,” she said.

All of the assistant principals said the transition  has been going well, though all are still adapting.

Nepi compared it to being thrown in as quarterback of the New England Patriots; the almost-undefeated football team being analogous to the very talented staff that surrounds him at T.K. Stone, he said.

Nepi taught at the middle school previously. Having a good staff to help makes the transition easier, he said.

Henry, who in her other part-time position is the district coordinator for the gifted and talented program, is working on juggling her two positions. She’s put in some long days, she said.

“I’ve been sleeping really good,” she said.

Pike said she starts her days with a to-do list, but it rarely gets finished by the end of the day, since issues that take precedence appear daily. But it’s the many things she gets to do that she’s enjoying the most.

“You have such a variety of things to keep you on your toes,” she said.

Gregory is enjoying interacting more with the students and meeting the faculty.

“I’m having the time of my life, I love it,” she said.

Kelly Richardson can be reached at (270) 505-1747.