The Newton County Board of Education announced recently that Dr. Jill Adams has been chosen as principal of the new middle school theme school which is scheduled to open in the 2009/2010 school year at the current site of Clements Middle School.
"I was very interested in the middle school theme school because I think it provides an opportunity to do something unique that has not been done in Newton County before," she said in a release from the Newton County School System. "I thought this would be a good way to motivate and inspire middle school students and I appreciated the parent involvement component."
Adams has been with Indian Creek Middle School since 2006 as an assistant principal. Prior to that she was a reviewer of educational texts with People’s Publishing Georgia Advisory Panel, a director at South DeKalb YMCA, a math coach at Columbia Elementary School in Decatur and an EIP teacher at Seaborn Lee Elementary in College Park.
Adams hopes to provide the motivation to help make students life-long learners and leaders.
"I want to provide a diverse curriculum that’s project-based and allows students to become analytical and creative learners," Adams said. "I want them to be able to apply what they are learning to future personal and career goals."
Adams received her bachelor degree in elementary education from the University of South Carolina in 1998 and her Master’s in education in K-12 leadership and doctorate in K-12 educational leadership from Capella University in Minnesota in 2004 and 2006.
One of Adams’ goals is to emphasize current events at the theme school in the hopes of helping students become "global learners."
"I’d like to see them having discussions on current events locally, nationally and around the world," she said. "I would like to have current events become an intricate part of the curriculum."
The final deadline for parents to submit applications for their students to be considered for the Fairview Elementary and Clements Middle Theme School is March 13. There is an informational meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on March 5 at Clements Middle School.
