When the school bell rings, Deanna Lock is at her post at Indian Hollow Elementary School.
"I'm with the kids," she said. "We are welcoming them to school, we're sending them off for the day, we're checking to see how their day went and if it's in the morning, getting them started on the right track."
Deanna does more than office work and disciplining students. There is a much bigger picture for her.
"Knowing the needs of your students, knowing the needs of your staff members, knowing the needs of your community," she said.
For Deanna, knowing those needs makes her job more than a title.
"You're a counselor, you're a mom someday, some days you're giving a hug, drying a tear, you're helping students have that ah-ha moment and realizing that they really can accomplish a goal," she said.
A school principal not only helps the students, but the staff and parents as well.
"Teachers and students and parents go through so many different types of problems and issues throughout their day," said Pleasant Rich, a teacher at Indian Hollow Elementary School. "When you have strong principals like we do here, they just know how to balance everything out and keep everything running successfully."
'Principal Appreciation Week' recognizes one of the most important people in a school who is often overlooked.
"They work far more hours than most people realize and I think a lot of people get so stressed out in their own roles that they don't realize what they're principals are actually doing for them and how they are going to bat for them every single day."
Deanna has been at Indian Hollow Elementary School for ten years. She says she enjoys being a principal.
"Knowing that we help our students have a better day, that's why I come back everyday," she said.
Deanna says, the overall goal for her as a principal, is to make sure the students who walk through her doors every morning are safe, and become lifelong learners who give back to the community.
© Copyright 2013 TV3 Winchester / Gray Television Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
