Felicia's Principal

I just had to post this article in the Salt Lake Tribune about Felicia's Principal at Evergreen Jr. High. He is an awesome Principle and I know that Felicia really likes him.

Top Utah educators are singled out

With her head down, the girl rushed through the doors of Evergreen Junior High on Friday, 20 minutes late for class.

Principal Mark Grant, who stands at the front of the school greeting students each morning, could have scolded her. Instead, he softly asked if she was all right.

She briefly raised her head, revealing tear-filled eyes, and silently nodded as she hurried to class.

“I don’t ever yell at them because I think they’ve already had a bad day,” Grant said of late students. His own eyes grew glossy as he explained.

Since Grant arrived at Evergreen five years ago, he has worked toward one main goal: to make sure students know that he and their teachers truly care about them. It’s an attitude that helped Grant win a Huntsman Award for Excellence in Education this year. Typically, 10 Utah teachers, administrators and school volunteers win the $10,000 awards each year.

Those who nominated the principal for the award said he has turned Evergreen around. Before he took over, the school had a bad reputation and lower test scores. Hundreds of its students chose to go to other district schools. Now, five years later, students have returned and test scores have improved significantly.

Grant has made academic changes — implementing classes for at-risk students, expanding gifted and talented offerings, starting character education classes, and adding technology — but he said above all else, caring and positivity have led to the school’s improvement.

“When kids know someone cares about them the academics and other stuff falls right into place,” Grant said. “If kids feel good about themselves, they do better.”
To get his message across, Grant and the PTA choose a school theme each year meant to uplift students. This year’s theme, “Take a Stand,” is emblazoned in neon green across black T-shirts and on rubber wristbands given to all students, paid for mostly with character education grants. If students lose or break the wristbands, they must do two hours of community service to get new ones. Once a month, students who remember to wear the T-shirts or wristbands are recognized at school assemblies for standing up for what’s right.

Seventh-grader Kevin Hyde said he has seen the motto in action. When a student was bullied earlier in the year, a group of kids wearing the shirts stepped in to stop it, he said.

“It’s so cool to be around people taking a stand,” said Hyde, who called Grant “the best principal ever.”

Grant said junior high can be a tough time for kids, and not everyone can be a cheerleader or star basketball player. But everyone can wear a wristband and be recognized for taking a stand, he said.

“Mr. Grant has made such a difference at Evergreen Junior High,” said parent Nan Ellsworth, who has had five children attend the school over the years and is a former chairwoman of the school community council. “He’s caring and has made the whole atmosphere at the school change into one where they really are motivated to be all they can be and make a difference for others.”

English and journalism teacher Nancy Crockett, who nominated Grant for the award, said he has built morale among students and teachers. She said her best experiences as an educator have been under Grant.

Grant attributes the school’s success to his staff. He said the school’s teachers were already great before he got there, and they, like the students, just needed to know they were valued.

“It’s all about teachers,” Grant said. “I wanted them to know I knew teaching was a hard job, so when they’d go out of their way to be nice to kids and do extracurriculars, I always made sure they knew I appreciated it.”
Ultimately, Grant said he’ll gauge the school’s success by the types of individuals it produces.

“When [people] ask us what kind of junior high Evergreen is, we all get a smile on our face and say, ‘I’ll tell you in 10 or 20 years,’” Grant said.