INPERSON
By Kathy Rudolph
Eden Hall Upper Elementary School
principal receives
Pennsylvania’s 2017 National
Distinguished Principal Award.
12 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Pine-Richland
T
District
Investing in
Our Future
he best part of Steven Smith’s day is hanging out
with students in the cafeteria at Eden Hall Upper
Elementary School (EHUES), where he has been the
principal since 2013.
“It sounds strange but I love the cafeteria,” laughs Smith.
“If you want to know what’s happening in your school, hang
out in the cafeteria for a half-hour every day. You will find
out things that you want to know and things that you don’t
want to know. I always grab a broom and sweep, or wipe the
tables, but as I do that, I listen to the kids and talk to them.
They are the heartbeat of the building.”
This daily ritual is one of many that led Smith to be
honored as Pennsylvania’s 2017 National Distinguished
Principal (NDP).
The National Distinguished Principals (NDP) program
was established in 1984 to recognize elementary and middle
level principals who set high standards for instruction,
student achievement, character and climate for the students,
families and staff in their learning communities.
In mid-October, Smith will be honored for his
achievements at an NDP ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Beth Halderman, the PA Principals Association
president and NDP Selection Committee chair, said Mr.
Smith’s dedication is one of many things that set him
apart. “The selection committee was very impressed with
the work he has done to improve student achievement
at EHUES,” says Halderman. “It’s evident he has a vision
of what successful schools should be and has instilled
the philosophies of what exemplary principals do within
their organizations by empowering the staff to create an
environment where students can excel.”
Dr. Brian Miller, Pine-Richland School District’s
superintendent, agrees. “The role of principal requires
a wide range of leadership and management skill,” says
Miller. “Since his arrival at Pine-Richland, Mr. Smith has
demonstrated his commitment to students, staff and parents.
He stays focused on the important aspects of the educational
programs that increase learning. He invests an incredible
amount of time, energy, knowledge and skill into his work.
Mr. Smith would be the first to recognize the total team
effort required for a high-performing school. The positive
results at EHUES are clear.”
Smith was surprised to receive the award. “It was
something I never searched for, or even thought of,”
explains Smith. “You have to be recommended and then
you go through an application process, and part of that is
completing some essays and putting together a packet. The
more I went through the process, the more I realized we have
done a lot at EHUES. It made me reflect on everything that
has happened, and that experience in itself was rewarding.
When I submitted everything I thought, ‘If this is as far as it
goes, I feel really good.’”
One of the rewarding experiences he wrote about
included being a “Kid for a Day” two years ago with Joe
Domagala, EHUES assistant principal, and Autumn Turk,
former EHUES assistant principal. The team wanted to
evaluate EHUES’s master schedule they had recently