IN BRIEF: Conyers Middle School Assistant Principal Allison Barbour was approved as the new principal for Sims Elementary on Thursday by the Rockdale County school board. Current Sims principal Charisse Windom-Gay submitted a resignation letter March 1 to take effect June 30.

"My decision to resign was finalized after long and careful consideration of all the factors," Windom-Gay wrote in her letter. "It has been a great priviledge to serve in the Rockdale County community in the capacity of Principal, Assistant Principal, parent and community member."

Windom-Gay began working with RCPS in 2007 and was an assistant principal at CJ Hicks Elementary before coming to Sims Elementary. According to her biography on the school's website, she is an educator of 15 years, with eight  years as a teacher and seven as an administrator, in New York, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Barbour began working with RCPS in 2008 as an eighth grade social studies teacher at Memorial Middle School and became a graduation coach there before moving onto Conyers Middle in 2010.

]Barbour said in a released statement, "I am absolutely delighted to join the Sims Elementary team. Being a principal is a platform of service that I am fully committed to. Sims and its community stakeholders are to be commended for their current successes; my goal is to foster and to continue that growth while helping to assure that Sims soars to even greater heights. Our collaborative mission is to provide students with every opportunity to operate in a spirit of excellence in their academic, social, and future endeavors. Our compass is positioned for success. I am confident that we won't detour from it. The journey will be realized via daily destinations of Stallion pride!"