Students were shocked on the first day of school to learn that ex-principal Kevin Spainhour had stepped away from his role. It wasn’t until recently that Ayonna Sutton-Chaplin (SC), took on the role of being principal, after previous leadership as an assistant principal.
Sutton-Chaplin has always aspired to be a principal, beginning her career as a science teacher and then becoming an assistant principal.
“I always wanted to be a principal I didn’t know that I was going to be the principal of West, it fell in my lap when Mr. Spainhour got his promotion and me being an assistant principal here for the last three years I applied and I am grateful they selected me,” Sutton-Chaplin said.
Ever since she was promoted, Sutton-Chaplin has had several ideas for ways to follow new policies. These policies are going to be enforced to help crack down on previous issues in order to better West.
“We have a new district cellphone policy and not just cellphones but all electronics, students can not have them, only during lunch so that’s a policy I definitely have to enforce and crack down on some dress codes,” Sutton-Chaplin said.
She is also attempting to find better ways to incorporate deeper learning into classrooms.
“Deeper learning is making sure when you are in your classroom and you are not just sitting. Students are engaged and the teachers are instructing them to meet the different learning modalities. So making sure the lessons that the teachers are implementing are engaging, meaningful and you all are collaborating and your student voices are being lifted,” As well as trying to enforce changes at West, she also hopes to keep old traditions.
“I want to continue that high expectation and the standards for high academics. With athletics and the arts, I think we do very well here and I just want to keep that tradition alive. West is known to have a sense of pride; you all take pride in this school and I just wanna keep that tradition going,” Sutton-Chaplin said.
With the new school year underway, many students are anticipating what new things Sutton-Chaplin will change at West to improve and better the high school. Sutton-Chaplin herself is very confident and qualified for her new, exciting position as principal this year.
