When Cool Springs Elementary School students gripe about homework, Principal Angela "Angie" Robinson doesn’t show any sympathy.
"When students complain about homework, I tell them ‘Nobody has more homework than me,'" she said. "I never left school."
The former elementary-school teacher turned principal will continue her career in the Loudoun County Public School system another year. She will be leaving her principal position in Leesburg to take Sugarland Elementary School Principal Jennifer Ostrowski’s place.
"I’ve had a great four years at Cool Spring Elementary," Robinson said. "I’m going to take all the smart things I’ve learned here and apply them at Sugarland."
SUGARLAND ELEMENTARY School is a very diverse place, made up of students from around the world, including Asia, Central and South American and the Middle East.
Robinson said she is familiar with working with students from other countries. Twelve years ago, Robinson began her teaching career in a Fairfax County elementary school with a large Hispanic population.
Robinson said English as a Second Language (ESL) classes were new to the building, when she started teaching. The kindergarten, first- and second-grade teacher worked with students that spoke "all different levels of English."
Although Sugarland Elementary School is diverse, its sense of community is strong.
"Sugarland is a community-based school," Robinson said. "I’m going to keep working on whatever’s working for them there."
Robinson will take her position as Sugarland principal July 1.
OSTROWSKI SAID it will be hard to leave the Sugarland family, but said Robinson has a wonderful reputation in the county.
"Mrs. Robinson is aware of the strong force Sugarland has in the community," Ostrowski said. "It’s going to be hard to leave, but I’m sure she’ll do a fabulous job."
Robinson began preparing for her new position by reading up on Sugarland’s Web site and its school improvement plans, but she hasn’t held any official meetings with teachers.
"I’m finding out what’s already working and will keep that going," she said.
Like any new principal, Robinson said she plans to improve instruction and work with teachers, but has no specific goals "at the moment."
Loudoun County Publics Schools spokesperson Wayde Byard said Robinson is well liked in the community.
"Angie is great," Byard said. "She has a terrific personality and she is a hard worker."
WHEN ROBINSON isn’t working with teachers and students, she is either at a baseball field, basket court or a school assembly.
"I’m at the same places most parents are," the mother of three said.
When asked about what she likes to do in her spare time, Robinson laughed.
While most of her time is dedicated to her husband, son and daughter, when she gets a moment to herself, she enjoys working in the garden, taking pictures and working with her church.
"By the time I finish carpooling my kids around town, the day is done," she said.