Angela Holt, Coleman Elementary School's new principal, began her first day of classes along with 317 students this morning.
That number may get a few names added to it before the week's out, Holt said. By 9:30 a.m., there were already parents lining up in the school office to add their children's names to the official list.
Holt described her first day as, "Excellent. Very exciting."
Holt comes to the school after about three years as an induction coach helping to train new teachers with the RI Department of Education (RIDE). But she's no stranger to Woonsocket Schools. From 2001 to 2008, Holt was an instructional coach aiding her colleagues in professional development in Woonsocket Schools. Before that, Holt was a third-grade teacher at Citizen's School in Woonsocket.
Holt praised Superintendent Giovanna Donoyan's support as she prepared to lead teachers and students at the school. She said an administrators' orientation, including a TED Talk from Rita Pierson, "Every Kid Needs a Champion" they viewed, was very inspirational. "From top-down, I have felt really supported and ready to go," Holt said.
Donoyan,who made a visit to the school for the first day, said she felt fortunate, "...to have such a terrific bunch of principals," including Holt.
"I am the luckiest person in Woonsocket right now, to have this job," Holt said.
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