Recognitions, a Farewell, a Welcome

October is being designated as National Principals Month as a way to honor the contributions our nation’s principals make towards school improvement and student success. The celebration is being led by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the American Federation of School Administrators.

These men and women are the people who are ultimately held responsible for whatever happens, good or bad, in our schools. It is fitting that they receive special recognition for their tireless efforts. You can learn more about National Principals Month at www.principalsmonth.org.

Green Schools: Congratulations to the 46 schools and six districts that were honored at the 2018 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools ceremony in late September for their innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and costs, promote better health, and ensure effective environmental education. You can find a list of the honorees at www2.ed.gov.

America’s Healthiest Schools: A record 461 schools, from 26 states and the District of Columbia, were recently recognized as “America’s Healthiest Schools” by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. They earned the distinction by successfully meeting a rigorous set of criteria for serving healthier meals and snacks, getting students moving more, offering high-quality health and physical education, and empowering school leaders to be healthy role models. To view the complete list, visit HealthiestSchools.org.

Goodbye and Welcome: Brandon Barrett has served us as our assistant editor for more than five years. At the beginning of September, he moved on to pursue other opportunities, but you may still see his byline on occasion, as he will contribute to our publications on occasion. I am sure that those of you who had the opportunity to work with Brandon join us as we wish him well in his future endeavors. Leila McNeill has joined us as associate editor and has assumed responsibility for some of Brandon’s former tasks. She has already proved to be a valuable addition to our team.

A Reminder: You can follow me on Twitter, @SPM_editor, and you are always welcome to contact me with your thoughts and ideas at [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management October 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • Spaces4Learning Announces 2026 Product Award Winners

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2026 Product Awards! The award program spotlights outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to enhance K–12 and higher-education learning environments.

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.