The new year brought two new principals to Lafayette Upper Elementary School and Walker-Grant Middle School. We took some time to talk to each about their goals for the schools, who they are outside of school, and what they want the Fredericksburg community to know about them. Here’s the first one.

 

 

Matthew Terry, Principal at Lafayette Upper Elementary School

Hometown: Long Island, NY

Previous Job: Assistant Principal at Walker-Grant  (he’s been with Fredericksburg City Schools since 1999  in several roles, including being the school psychologist for James Monroe High School and Walker-Grant Middle School)

Education: He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Elmira College in New York, a master’s degree in school psychology from Marist College, in New York and a post-master’s certificate in educational leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Goals for LUES:

  • Improve instructional reading and math levels
  • Identify which teachers are doing a good job in specific areas and duplicating that
  • Keep and retain teachers and inspire them to be better teachers by building morale and working smarter, not harder
  • Making sure the students advance and “learn how to learn” and help teachers get students to empower themselves
  • Work closer with all the buildings and get good, consistent flow from school to school. “Right now, good cohesive units will benefit the children,” he says.

Biggest Challenge: Empowering parents to take more of an active role in the home, he says. He wants to help parents use their time wisely to benefit.

Favorite Subject in School: Math

Family: Wife, Jennifer and Carly (6) and Connor (7)

Lafayette also has other new administrators for the new year. Here’s some information on them:

Lori Bridi, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Bridi received her Bachelor’s from James Madison University and her Master’s in Education from the
University of Mary Washington.  She has been employed with Fredericksburg City Public Schools since 1995.

P.J. Pcsolinski, Administrative Assistant
Mr. Pcsolinski received his Bachelor’s from
George Mason University and his Master’s in Education from
Virginia Commonwealth University.  He most recently was a physical education teacher at Hugh Mercer.
Mr. Pcsolinski has been employed with Fredericksburg City Schools since 2009.