As
a child, Parkside Elementary Principal Dianna Newman moved around a
lot. Her father was in the Army. She moved to the United States when she
wasn’t quite 5 years old. “I didn’t know any English,” she said. “This
was at a time when schools didn’t know what to do with students who had
language barriers. My dad sat with me at the kitchen table every day. He
labeled everything in our house so I could learn the words. He was my
first teacher.”
That experience led Newman to become an educator.
“I realize now that my dad was my first teacher,” she said. “Because I
had such a valuable experience, it is so important that I now stand in
the gap and empower other parents to do the same for their children. The
investment my dad made in my with his time and his presence ignited
this passion for me to bring it forward and empower others.”
The
word ‘empower’ adorns the wall near Newman’s office. “Empowerment is one
of the strongest things you can give others,” she said. “You can learn
to do the very thing you didn’t think that you could do. And we will
celebrate every progress you make.”
Newman opened Parkside as a new school in 2015. She was recently named the Northeast Learning Community Principal of the Year.
“Dianna
is a consummate professional educator and principal who goes above and
beyond the call of duty for her students, parents and staff,” said
Northeast Learning Community Superintendent John Wall. “She is always
focused on their needs and she leads with compassion and love. I am
amazed at the understanding she has of her school and the instructional
challenges she faces daily. She faces these challenges with a smile on
her face and the commitment to find positive solutions for students.”
Newman
was shocked to receive the recognition. “I still can’t believe my
colleagues think of me this way,” she said. “I share this award with my
staff. I have an amazing assistant principal and supporting staff. Our
goal is to create a place that feels like love when you walk into the
building. We want our kids to walk into the building and everyone, from
the front office to their teacher, is happy to see them.”
Newman
graduated from Winthrop University and was recruited by CMS. She became a
National Board Certified teacher. “That was one of the best
professional development opportunities I’ve ever had,” she said. “You
learn about the why behind decisions you are making and focus on the
craft.”
Newman also earned her master’s degree from Gardner-Webb
University. Last year, she was accepted into the Relay Graduate School
of Education National Principal Academy Fellowship. It was a year-long
program that was offered through Success by Design.
Newman started
her education career teaching first grade at Devonshire Elementary and
also taught at Dilworth Elementary, then became an academic facilitator
and then an assistant principal at Mallard Creek Elementary. She was
principal at Barnette Elementary until she opened Parkside.
“Part
of the challenge of owning a new school is that everyone is coming from a
different place,” said Newman. “So we established the Parkside Way and
we invited the community to get involved and feel like this is their
school. If it takes a village to raise a child, you have to invite the
village.”
Newman and her staff have student update meetings, not
only with parents but with extended family as well. “We are
strengthening the child by strengthening the entire family,” she said.
“They can all invest in their students’ success.”
Newman works
closely with parents to make sure they have access to the resources they
need, just not for their students but for themselves as well. “My dad
liked to work on cars in his spare time and he taught me sometimes a
hammer isn’t going to do it,” she said. “Sometimes you need a
screwdriver and a wrench. We don’t want our parents to feel like there
is a deficit or that they aren’t valued. We can help them get the tools
they need. We want to empower them to help themselves. It takes time and
commitment to families, careful planning and follow through to create
new habits and new beginnings.”
Newman’s own family has become a
part of her CMS experience as well. “I have an amazing husband that I
met when we were 16 years old,” she said. “We have four beautiful
children that span from ages 5-22.”
Her oldest son graduated from
Hough High. Her 11-year-old attended Barnette and Parkside and is now at
Piedmont IB Middle. Her two youngest children are current Parkside
students. “That certainly adds another layer of pressure,” said Newman.
“I want my kids to have access to the best education possible and they
can find that here at Parkside.”