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Second Place, East Division, K-8/Middle Schools
Sandra Burchette, Principal
301 College Street
Newport, TN 37821
Newport Schools
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Recipe For Success:
Sandra W. Burchette is the principal at Newport Grammar School (NGS), a pre-K through eighth grade school with approximately 800 students. NGS owes part of its success on being the only school within the Newport City district. This allows the director, principal, and board to focus their attention solely on the needs of a single school and quickly make adaptations to improve its culture for learning.
NGS’s high quality faculty and staff are also responsible for the school’s continued success. Author Jim Collins believes that any successful business “gets the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off) before you figure out where to drive it.” Over the years, NGS has thoughtfully gathered a faculty and staff who put the students’ needs first.
Communication with parents/guardians, the community, and school board is another critical aspect of a successful school. To keep everyone up-to-date on student progress, inclement weather, upcoming events, and changes in schedule, NGS uses a wide variety of outlets: email, newsletters, a school website, an automated phone system, and parent-teacher conferences. The principal has also established an open door policy for parents/guardians to discuss their children at any time.