Parent Teacher Magazine Cabarrus County Schools Nov/Dec 2017 | Page 5

Assistant Principal of the Year Selected Snyder Named Principal of the Year Congratulations to Richard Wells, assistant principal of instruction at Winecoff Elementary School, who has been selected as the district’s 2017-2018 Assistant Principal of the Year. Superintendent Chris Lowder and Assistant Superintendent Glenda Jones surprised Wells at the school on September 29th. Wells joined Cabarrus County Schools in 2012 as Assistant Principal of Instruction at C.C. Griffin Middle School and moved to Winecoff Elementary School as the Assistant Principal of Instruction in 2014. Prior to serving in Cabarrus County Schools, Wells taught elementary school in a neighboring district. Wells graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). He also earned his master’s degree in school administration and is currently in a doctoral program for educational leadership at UNCC. CCS assistant principals nominate candidates among their peers for the Assistant Principal of the Year Award based on a set of criteria. The candidates are then interviewed by a panel of administrators, and a winner is selected. Wells will now compete for the 2018 North Carolina Assistant Principal of the Year Award, which is given by the North Carolina Principal and Assistant Principal Association (NCPAPA). The state winner will be recognized in March at the NCPAPA annual meeting. Irvin Elementary Receives Donation W.M. Irvin Elementary School was presented a $1200 donation from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Gamma Epsilon Zeta Chapter by Ms. Tuwanna McNeely, President. The surprise donation was for the school’s student services department and will benefit the many students and families of Irvin Elementary. Congratulations to Liz Snyder, principal of Hickory Ridge Middle School, who has been selected as the 2018 Cabarrus County Schools Principal of the Year in a program sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Wells Fargo. Superintendent Chris Lowder and Assistant Superintendent Glenda Jones surprised Snyder with an announcement during a Hickory Ridge Middle School staff meeting on Wednesday, September 20th. Snyder has been principal of Hickory Ridge Middle since 2015. She previously served as a principal In Thomasville, NC. Snyder began her tenure in school administration as an Assistant Principal in 2005 and began her profession in education as a secondary English teacher in 1993. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Snyder also earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and is currently working on her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Snyder will now compete with other principals across the state for North Carolina Principal of the Year. After the state selection process is completed, one principal will be selected as the 2018 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year. CCS principals nominate and vote among their peers; finalists are selected and a selection panel comprised of former CCS principals of the year, as well as other administrators interview finalists and select a winner. Each regional Wells Fargo Principal of the Year receives $1,000 cash award for his or her school and $1,000 cash award for personal use. The 2018 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year receives $3,000 for his or her school and $3,000 for his or her personal use. Regional award recipients will be selected by February 2018 and the state-level winner will be announced in the spring at a special luncheon in Raleigh. Parent Teacher Magazine • November/December 2017 • 3