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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend June 1, 2006 Griffin Creek Elementary School Principal Ginny Hicks greets her students with a high five after a recess period. Hicks� knack for making children feel invested in school is one of the reasons she was named Oregon Elementary Principal of the Year. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) GET CONNECTED By Paris Achen Mail Tribune When fifth-grader Damian Huizar began Griffin Creek Elementary last year, he was angry at the world. His mother was in jail, he had changed schools for the fifth time in five years, and he saw no point in making an effort at schoolwork. Principal Ginny Hicks saw the boy behind the troubles, Damian said. "Last year, I felt like nobody cared," Damian said. "She believed in me. I decided somebody cares, so I might as well try." As a result of the attention from Hicks, his teachers and his great aunt and uncle who are now his guardians, Damian is a devoted pupil who has logged 515 hours of reading in the last seven months. "He is such a great kid, we have teachers fighting over him for next year," Hicks said. Hicks' knack for making children feel invested in school and the test scores that have followed recently prompted a committee of her peers from the Oregon Elementary School Principals Association to select her as the state's Elementary Principal of 2006. Hicks will receive the state award June 23 at the annual Confederation of Oregon School Administrators conference in Seaside. She will be the state's candidate for the National Distinguished Principal Award Oct. 26-27 at a National Association of Elementary School Principals ceremony in Washington, D.C. "She is truly one who leads by example," said Nancy Moen, COSA award and scholarship program director. "If her teachers do professional development, she goes with them, so she can talk about it with them and grow along with them." For Hicks, a typical day involves greeting students in the morning, visiting them during lunch and recess and sending them off at the end of the day. When she isn't addressing behavior problems in her office during the bustle of the day, she is in a classroom observing teachers. The interaction fosters a sense of community at the school, she said. "When kids feel connected, they work harder for you to achieve academically and behaviorally," Hicks said. Griffin Creek students' academic performance has garnered the school an "exceptional" rating from the Oregon Department of Education. In 2004-05, 91 percent of third-graders and 98 percent of fifth-graders met or exceeded state standards in reading. One hundred percent of fifth-graders met or exceeded the state benchmarks in math and 98 percent of fifth-graders did the same in science. Hicks came from a long line of teachers. Her mother, Jacksonville resident Christine Fowler, was a teacher. But as a teenager, Hicks resisted the notion. "I wanted to break out of the mold, but I think it was meant to be," she said. Her interest in a breadth of subjects during college eventually led her to teaching, she said. "When I took an anthropology class, I wanted to become an anthropologist," Hicks said. "When I took a photography class, I wanted to become a photographer. When I took a history class, I wanted to become a historian. "I thought, 'What job can I have where I could be involved in all these subjects? I could be a teacher.'" Hicks taught elementary classes for 12 years in the Eagle Point School District, mostly at White City Elementary School, before taking a job as a student resource teacher in Medford. Hicks said she had no ambition to become an administrator. Others, such as Bill Jones, former principal of White City Elementary, recognized leadership qualities in her. The mentors in her life and her desire to impact a greater number of children prodded her down the path of a principal, she said. She became principal of Roosevelt Elementary in Medford 14 years ago. Seven years ago she moved to Griffin Creek Elementary. "I think being a teacher for 14 years was a very positive thing, and it helped me be a better principal because I truly understand the challenges teachers face," she said. Reach reporter Paris Achen by calling 541-776-4459 or [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy