New Principal Feeling Right At Home
The school year might be winding down for students at Mary J. Tanner Elementary School, but for new Principal Breanne Taylor, the school year is just beginning.
Mrs. Taylor joins the Granville Central School District community after spending 12 years as a kindergarten teacher in the Capital Region. The South Glens Falls native has hit the ground running at Mary J. Tanner, meeting with teachers and sitting in on classes at every grade level.
“It has been such a wonderful experience getting to know the entire staff and all the students,” said Mrs. Taylor. “The countless hugs and enthusiasm the students express about me being in the school keeps me smiling all day long. I’m so happy to be able to be part of this unique community, and I’m excited to collaborate with everyone who helps make it one of a kind.”
One of the first items on Mrs. Taylor’s list when she accepted the principal position was making sure the student body had time to get comfortable with her. She welcomed students in the morning getting off the bus and visited classrooms to give students the chance to ask her questions to get to know her better.
“I think every student in our school now knows what my favorite color is,” said Mrs. Taylor. “I felt it was extremely important for our students to understand that while this is a big change and there’s a new person occupying the principal’s office, the students don’t need to be nervous around me or worried that I’m going to uproot what makes them comfortable.”
The faculty and staff have also welcomed Mrs. Taylor with open arms. While making sure students have the opportunity to ask questions and get to know their new principal, Mrs. Taylor has emphasized building relationships with each teacher in the school.
“Learning about and understanding the ins and outs of our school curriculum is a top priority for me. As amazing as each teacher and support staff member has been to me since Day One, I need to make sure the staff understands that I’m here to lift them up and collaborate on projects that will benefit our students at every grade level.”
Mrs. Taylor says her mission is to hear what goals each teacher has for the end of this school year, and what goals they plan to set for themselves in the coming 2023-24 school year. In order to appreciate what will be required for everyone to reach their goals, Mrs. Taylor has taken it upon herself to sit in on as many lessons as possible.
“It’s my goal to make sure our teachers feel comfortable with me in the classroom,” Mrs. Taylor said. “I don’t want them to have the impression that if I’m sitting in on a lesson that day that I’m there to judge their performance or specifically review something about their teaching style. Instead, I hope the entire staff understands that I’m there to see how I can help them reach their goals and how our students can be supported further. It’s all collaborative, and our teachers have opened their doors to me in a really welcoming way. It gives me even more energy to work with them in so many different ways.”
Mrs. Taylor says she’s looking forward to participating in her first Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports assembly, and is also hard at work on planning Mary J. Tanner’s end of year celebrations, including the moving up ceremonies for third grade students, plus the annual kindergarten parade and Pre-K graduation.
“I wanted to hit the ground running when I came on board, and being able to have the opportunity to help plan these important events for our students makes me feel like I’m immediately part of this community. I’m so grateful and thankful for all the love and support I’ve received since my first day.”
Next on the new principal’s list: sitting down with the Parent-Teacher Organization and familiarizing herself with more members of the greater Granville community.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting the members of the PTO,” said Mrs. Taylor. “They have all done so much to help make this school what it is today, and I can’t wait to hear some of their ideas about how we can keep things growing.”