By Suzanne Schmidt
Staff Writer
LAND O’ LAKES— A new principal is learning the ropes at Sanders Memorial Elementary School just in time before the school transfers to Connerton Elementary.
Anna Falcone said she is happy to be the principal of her own school.
“It is exciting to be principal,” Falcone said. “I get to lead the teachers and the staff so the children can be the best they can be. I know my impact will be felt with the teachers and ultimately the children.”
Falcone started her career in Pasco as an intermediate teacher at San Antonio Elementary from 1998 to 2003. She then moved to Pine View Elementary School where she was assistant principal for five and a half years until last week, when she became principal of Sanders.
She said she is not the type of principal that just sits at her desk; instead she likes to work hands-on with the students.
“Curriculum and instruction is my passion,” Falcone said. “I am always in the classrooms and I love to be connected to the children. I think all children can learn and all children learn differently. If we have the best interest of the students in mind then everything else falls into place.”
Over the summer, Sanders will be closed and all the students, faculty and staff will be moved to the new Connerton Elementary School, 9300 Flourish Road in Land O’ Lakes, for the next school year. Instead of thinking too much about the new school, Falcone said for now she is just trying to get to know everyone at the school.
“My first goal is to get to know the students, faculty and the community,” Falcone said. “I want to know everything that is going on and get to know the people and how they work. I think it will help us to have a smooth transition to the new school.”
Even though the entire school, including the teachers and students, will be transferring to a new building, they will not be taking the old name and mascot with them.
“We will probably have a student vote in order to come up with a mascot,” Falcone said.
John Petrashek, director of construction service and code compliance for the District School Board of Pasco County, said the new school will be completed by the middle of summer.
“The school will be open August 2010,” Petrashek said. “That will allow time for the principal to move in so she can be ready to welcome back the staff during teacher week.”
Petrashek said all of Sanders is going to be torn down except for four buildings. Those buildings are a part of the design for the new building. Even though there is a design almost complete, there is no plan yet in place to rebuild.
“We will have to look at the growth projections for future years,” Petrashek said. “We do not want to operate two schools with full staff if they are only full to half capacity with students.”
With Sanders now in its 64th year there is a lot of history. To bid the school good bye, Falcone said in April she is planning on having an Open House for the community.
“We are planning a farewell to Sanders,” Falcone said. “We will have the school open to where people can stop by. There is a lot of history here and a lot of people who taught here or were on the administration here or went to school here can come in and say goodbye.”
Barbara Stark, secretary at the school, said she is excited to have a new principal and soon a new school.
“The staff at Sanders is happy to have a new principal,” Stark said. “We are looking forward to working for her and we are excited about the new school. The kids are all looking forward to it, too.”
In the future, the site where Connerton Elementary is being built will also have a middle school, a major regional Pasco community park as well as an adjoining South West Florida Water Management District preserve.
For information, visit pasco.k12.fl.us or call Sanders at (813) 794-1500.
