Tavelli principal touts less homework, more family time

By Brenda Rader Mross
North Forty News

Uprooting to a different state to start a new job can do a double whammy on anyone's blood pressure, but the new principal at Tavelli Elementary School prefers to view the two events as opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Neither has the twin task of succeeding a popular, long-time principal as the district reconfigures grade levels fazed Christine Hendricks.

Principal at Grant Elementary School in Glenrock, Wyo., for the past dozen years, Hendricks' "secret" is posted on a plaque behind her desk: "Love what you do."

When school life gets hard to handle, the last place you'll find Hendricks is behind her desk.

"When I'm having a rough day," she confessed, "I immediately head to the classrooms. I love being around kids. Teaching is my passion."

Hendricks taught for 12 years, most of which were spent in Albany County School District #1 in Laramie teaching fourth, fifth and sixth grades in a "looping program" where students and their teacher advanced to the next grade level together.

She earned a master's degree in educational administration from the University of Wyoming and her bachelor's in elementary education from Montana State University, where she threw the discus and shot for the Bobcats in Billings.

Glenrock is a community of about 2,500 people located 18 miles from Casper. Hendricks said there were about 260 students at her former school. She projects approximately 550 kids will attend Tavelli this year.

"I felt really comfortable making the jump," declared Hendricks. "When I was a teacher in Laramie, I loved to shop in Fort Collins. I knew someday I would work and live here."

Hendricks said it was a "fluky deal" that she even applied for 16-year former principal Dan Lawler's position.

"It was meant to be," she recalled. "I was in Phoenix for Easter vacation. I read about the opening online at the hotel. Before that I hadn't looked; I hadn't been looking. Applications closed in two days. I completed mine at DIA (Denver International Airport)."

Three interviews later, beginning with a team comprised of Tavelli staff and parents and ending with District Superintendent Jerry Wilson, Hendricks learned the job was hers.

"I was so excited," she exclaimed. "It's an honor and privilege. Poudre School District has a great reputation."

Hendricks said her predecessor embraced the idea of someone new coming in and tried to help with the transition that shifted PSD elementary schools from a kindergarten through sixth-grade configuration to a K-5 setup.

"Change is a difficult thing, but this is also a very exciting time," said the 46-year-old administrator, acknowledging Lawler's effort and dedication particularly in the areas of fitness and wellness. "I know a lot of people were sad to see Dan leave. I've got big shoes to fill."

Hendricks believes the Tavelli community will have already noticed many improvements, as well as a new face at the front desk: office manager Linda Foreman, Hendricks' first hire. Otherwise, Hendricks said, she intends to continue to do the great things Tavelli is known for - with input from teachers, students, staff, and parents.

"I'm a great listener and an advocate for kids," she professed.

The divorced mother of three is also a fan of the "no homework practice," as preached by nationally known advocates Kim Bevill, founder of educational resource company Gray Matters, and author Sara Bennett in "The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It."

It's been Hendricks' personal experience that homework is a detriment to family time. She was featured recently in Parenting magazine in the article "The Less-Homework Revolution" in which she talked as a parent about homework's negative effects on her own kids: sixth-grader Madison, 12; eighth-grader Brock, 14; and Jennifer, 21, a pharmacy student at the University of Wyoming.

"We need to let kids be kids," Hendricks said. "I think kids should be able to spend an hour at night outside playing (weather permitting). Family dinners are important; so is reading together."

Hendricks is looking forward to implementing a reading incentive program to get students - and their families - excited about reading.

More reading is also on her own agenda as Hendricks intends to diligently continue researching ways to improve instruction to help teachers grow so ultimately students will grow.

"I want to create a climate where people feel they can take risks," she shared. "If they don't succeed, that's OK; we'll figure it out together."

Not an initial supporter of the 2001 No Child Left Behind standards-based education federal reform act, Hendricks recognizes that the Colorado Student Assessment Program is moving toward more accountability.

"Tavelli has not met AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) in several of our subgroups," she stated. "I've had a lot of experience with RTI (Response to Intervention) and assessments. I know how to use the data to drive instruction."

The lady also knows how to strike a balance between work and play. Although Hendricks admits she would love to get outside more, she does have an enviable personal to-do list.

"My Top 10 include going to Albuquerque to the balloon festival and to New York for the Macy's (Thanksgiving Day) Parade," she said. "The kids are trying to talk me into a Disney Cruise."

For the time being, the Hendricks family is happy visiting her mother in Thornton and taking daytrips in northern Colorado. So far, covering Fort Collins' bike trails and walking in Old Town have been family favorites.

"We're lucky to live here," she said.