For the past three years, Sharon Aldredge has been a vital part of Woodley Hills Elementary School. She will continue to serve an even more vital role as she makes the transition from assistant principal to principal.
“I’m honored and excited about being with this staff and community and the wonderful children,” Aldredge said. “It’s a special place to me.”
Aldredge has worked in the field of education since she graduated from James Madison University. She was hired right out of college as a special education teacher and spent 10 years at Garfield Elementary School. Aldredge then worked as an inclusion specialist within the Edison pyramid before coming to Woodley Hills as an assistant principal three years ago.
Aldredge said that she had been encouraged to get into administration by the central office.
“Once I started working with teachers, I wanted to help the teachers help students,” Aldredge said. “That really appeals to me. Working with teachers and still being able to work with children — that’s why I became an educator.”
Aldredge feels that her job is to make sure that teachers have what they need. As she takes over as principal, she plans to continue the mission that started with Rima Vesilind, Woodley Hills’ former principal, who transferred to West Potomac.
“We will continue to provide top quality education and focus on different areas with the staff,” Aldredge said. “We will look at and redefine some of our programs. Character education will remain core to us.”
Aldredge said that they are still in the process of hiring an assistant principal, but that she is hoping to find somebody who is “energetic, child-centered, and willing to work with the community and the staff. Hopefully he or she will provide some ideas we haven’t thought of yet. There’s always a way to learn and update.”
Aldredge plans to use some of the principals learned at last month’s Positive Behavior and Intervention Support (PBIS) seminar.
“We decided that we could use it as a tool to give us data. We’ve already been doing some of it, but not at the same level as PBIS. It will help enhance our character education,” she said.