Brenda Williamson, the new elementary principal at Northlake Christian School, will bring her philosophy to the school and its 350 kindergarten through sixth-grade students, faculty and parents.

“It is blessed to be a blessing, “said Williamson. She will be encouraging faculty and staff to use their gifts and skills to bless others, particularly their students.

The philosophy will also include students using their own gifts and skills to bless others. Her philosophy of parent involvement is simple: Parents are the best advocates for their own children. She said the school’s parents have already made a choice about what they want in their children’s education. She does not plan to change the relationship between the elementary school and parents.

Williamson

“I’m inheriting a good ship,” she said. “We will keep the same policies and philosophy as before.”

She said former principal, Rosemary Replogle was principal for eight years and taught at the school before that. so she knows the change of administration may make some people a little nervous. She said she wants to reassure everyone no huge changes are coming.

For the past three years, Williamson has worked in Indonesia with national teachers in professional development. The schools were considered national plus schools and existed at the whim of the government, said Williamson.

There is no free public education in Indonesia, so parents are interested in sending their children to the best schools available. Teachers in the schools are Christian, but the students are of both faiths, some Christian, some Muslim.

The education system in Indonesia is quite different from the United States, and Williamson said the experience broadened her outlook and understanding of both education and faith. She said she now has more of a world perspective on Christianity and education.

In some parts of Indonesia, it is difficult to run a Christian school. Williamson said in Aceh, the area hardest hit by the tsunami a few years ago, Mustard Seed schools built a beautiful new school building. The area is militantly Muslim, and the school had to jump through many hoops before it was allowed to open. The school is slowly growing, but the government there is not as receptive to the schools as in other parts of Indonesia.

There are some curriculum changes this fall: the Foundations & Frameworks reading program will focus on critical thinking skills, teaching the students to think about how they think about reading. The Singapore math program will be piloted in grades 4-6 and will use visual components and manipulatives to teach math as well as real world problem based math. Science will go from a computer based curriculum to a textbook-based curriculum. There will also be a new grammar text based in the Foundations and Frameworks concept.

In fact, the entire curriculum will be integrated and will use a variety of visual, auditory and textile learning methods.

The students will still have chapel once a week and Bible study as part of their curriculum.

Williamson is continuing her own education as well. She is in her third year of doctoral study through Bethel University. She calls Charleston, S.C. her home, although she traveled a lot as a “Navy brat.” New to both the area and the school, she is looking forward to meeting all of her students and their parents.

For the future, Williamson said she has inherited a great position and does not plan to change that. She plans to continue the quality education and traditions that have been in the school since its beginning.