The best laid plans

Education notes


James Garrett

James Garrett

Robert Burns’ poem “To a Mouse” recognizes the tendency of “the best laid plans of mice and men” to go awry. This describes how I felt this summer when plans for the 2015-16 school year suddenly and drastically changed.

As a result, I have been given the opportunity to serve as Associate Principal at Brundrett Middle School. I consider it a great honor to be trusted with the job of leading our students, and will always attempt to do my best to serve the children of this great school district to the best of my ability. After a couple of weeks behind “the desk” (and I’m not behind the desk much at all), I realize that I must rely heavily on several different people as I grow into my first leadership role.

First and foremost is the secretary here at Brundrett Middle School, Emily Phillips. She is the glue that keeps the building running the way it does. She is loyal and trusting with everything that goes on here in the front office. As I sit typing this article, she is double-checking to make sure that our students’ personal information is not given to an unauthorized person – just one more reason she is irreplaceable for me. On top of all the “normal” jobs a secretary may be asked to do, she has great rapport with every single person that walks through those front doors. She usually knows exactly why they are here before they even walk in. I could not do this job effectively without her.

The next group I rely on is our administration. Our new principal, Scott Mc- Neely, has provided me with numerous, useful pieces of invaluable advice from his past experience and wisdom. Sharon McKinney has been one phone call away for me every step of the way. The ladies in the administration office have all the answers, and there is not space enough here to thank them. And I will never learn enough from Mr. Johnson. He has the intangibles that I can only hope to someday have. The way he plans and makes the right decisions for our district every single time is a testament to why we are so successful.

Most middle schools that I have attended or worked in are inexplicably filled with very crabby and upset people. In contrast, BMS is filled with people who love every single student and want them to be successful. They are willing to set aside conference time, lunch time and personal time to invest in their education and lives. They are problem solvers, not problem makers. They are willing to take on whatever job is thrown at them by me or other administrators. They are the epitome of “team.” They make my job as an administrator as easy as it can be because of the phenomenal job they do preparing students in their classrooms. BMS staff has my gratitude, and respect.

And last, but certainly not least, a shout out to the hard-working students at Brundrett Middle School. It’s not too often that you can tell a bunch of middle schoolers to study for the first 10 minutes of a class and they actually do it, but here, that is the reality. They listen and follow directions. They are kind and polite. I can’t say enough about these students. If the students are this good, they must have parents that are just as good…and they do. The support from parents in this community, as business leaders, board members, mentors, or in any other role, is something I have never seen in all my years of teaching and coaching. This truly is a special place, and you all make it possible for the students in this school to see and do so much more because of your generosity with finances, and time.

In closing, I want to thank all the stakeholders of Brundrett Middle School for their role in the education of our students. It could not be done without you, and I could not do it without you. Things don’t always work out as planned, but they work out nonetheless – because of you. #bmspride

James Garrett is the associate principal at Brundrett Middle School.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.