ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — With the motto “What I think, I can say, What I say, I can write, What I write, I can read,” Faye Sheppard, new Robertsdale Elementary School principal, hopes to inspire her teachers and their students to reach for the stars in the upcoming 2010-11 school year.

With 34 years of teaching experience under her belt in Texas and Alabama, this Marengo County native believes strongly in the direct correlation between reading and writing and wants to instill that belief into the 1,000-plus K-6 students at RES.

“Reading is one of the most important things a child can learn and the more a parent can read to the child, the better. And the more they read, the better they can write,” Sheppard said.

This “reading and writing initiative” is just one of the many goals Sheppard wants to accomplish as she begins her tenure at RES. She points out they are very fortunate to have SARIC (South Alabama Research Inservice Center) provide them with three training sessions this year and they are paying for it as well. “It is so important for children to know how to read and be read to.”

The first item on Sheppard’s to-do list is create a family atmosphere among the teaching staff so they can work together as a team. “Creating a PLC (Professional Learning Community) so we have the same common goals and vision is a must and also increasing parental involvement so they feel welcome at our school. Being visible and having a successful relationship between the community and the school is very important.”

Believing all children can learn, Sheppard also wants to create an atmosphere of high expectations among teachers and students that would be accomplished through different methods of instruction to cover all learning styles.

“We must teach to the way they learn. That is so critical. And we also must teach to the standards and have purpose, substance and meaning in our cirriculum so that it’s aligned within grade levels and has smooth transitions,” Sheppard explained.

Targeting at-risk students and helping them reach their goals is another issue to be addressed during the school year, Sheppard said, as well as providing challenges for those who are advanced and gifted.

“There are different needs at different levels for elementary children and their learning at this level is foundational. We have a great challenge to get them ready for middle and high school,” Sheppard commented.

Having been an assistant principal at both Spanish Fort High School and Central Baldwin Middle School and a biology teacher at Robertsdale High School, has given Sheppard great experience and a broad perspective of all kids’ needs and prepared her for the role of RES principal.

Some of the new changes taking place at RES this year include implementing new reading and math intervention strategies that employ the use of research-based instruction and good classroom management skills, Sheppard said.

“The State is moving away from previous methods of identifying children for special education services and we are now moving to Response To Intervention methods to address the needs of all learners in regular and inclusion classrooms,” Sheppard said.

This new inclusion program will work closely with teachers to increase awareness of all special needs children, especially those with Autism. RES has a wide range of Special Needs students who will benefit from the two Project Reach classrooms for Autism, two multi-handicapped rooms, two preschool multi-handicapped rooms, one self-contained classroom and one Pathways classroom for K-6.

“We will have a Project Outreach student group who will be working with the Project Reach classroom during the year,” Sheppard said.

For the sixth graders, this year will bring change as well. “We will have two separate teams of two math, language arts, social studies/science classes and students will rotate between three teachers for each subject. It will prepare them for middle school and get them used to switching classes,” Sheppard explained.

Sheppard isn’t the only new face gracing the halls of RES this year. A new assistant principal, yet to be named, Christin Skidmore, RTI Corrdinator and Sarah Bodle, reading coaches; Tracie Barnes, third grade, Jamie Drew, fifth grade, Adam Crandall, P.E. and Allison Beck, third grade inclusion will also join the faculty.

In addition, RES plans to become an AMSTI (Alabama Math Science Technology Initiative) school with teachers receiving training throughout the year .

And Sheppard plans to hit the ground running with lots of activities planned for the teacher workdays beginning with taking a tour of the different areas of town to create awareness of the diversity of the RES students. The week will culminate with “Meet the Teacher” day on Thursday, Aug. 12.

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl. We didn’t take many vacations growing up so I traveled through books and loved learning new things. I idolized teachers and loved learning about people, places and things. Guess I will always be a lifelong learner.” Sheppard expressed.

Sheppard has received many accolades during her teaching career but the highlight, she said, has to be being selected for the Leadership Development Program in 2006. Interning in five different elementary, middle and high schools in the county for a year was “very enlightening and taught me a lot about the diversity of each school and the students,” Sheppard said.

“It was so amazing to see how different the culture and environment was in each school. A real eye-opener,” Sheppard explained.

When Sheppard is not at school, she enjoys reading, eating out and listening to good music with friends. Sheppard and her husband, Freddie have two children and three grandchildren, who live n Seattle and New Orleans, and are members of Church on the Eastern Shore.