“We are proud of Enka Intermediate School and are
excited our children have this opportunity,” explains
Queen. “In Hominy Valley we talk about Enka Pride. This
pride comes from the community support, the passion
teachers and staff bring into their classrooms, and the
desire and determination of our students to learn and
succeed.”
At the helm of this state-of-the-art school is its inaugural
principal, Carleene Finger, who has worked in public
education since 1995. She first came to BCS in 2007,
serving as Assistant Principal at Candler Elementary,
Principal at Charles C. Bell Elementary, and most
recently, Principal at Leicester Elementary. Dr. Baldwin
speaks highly of the veteran educator, explaining that
Ms. Finger “rose to the top because, as a leader, she
brings the highest levels of experience, enthusiasm, and
success to her new post.”
On this historic day for the Jets, Ms. Finger is found just
inside the door welcoming students to their new home,
and helping them find their classrooms. She is honored
and humbled to be chosen to lead Enka Intermediate,
and with her calm and confident demeanor, she quickly
points to her 24 homeroom teachers and 50 additional
staff members as the key resources for students.
“They are all very dedicated educators and our teachers
teach because it is their calling,” says Principal Finger.
Then, looking out at the students en route to their
homerooms, she adds, “This is an age where students
are beginning to better understand their own identities.
So giving them a variety of opportunities to explore their
interests and develop skills is critical to helping them
answer the big questions they face, such as ‘Who am
I?’, ‘What do I want to do?’, and ‘Where do I excel?’.”
Principal Finger hopes that 10 months from now as the
final bell sounds for summer break, each student will
be able to say, “I have learned so much and have grown
as a person. I know my teachers care about me and
love me.”
“That’s what I want to hear,” says Ms. Finger, “and how
I will know it has been a successful first school year at
Enka Intermediate.”
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