Havelock year-round schools set to open

A new principal will be in place for a new school year, as Havelock's three year-round schools set to open for the 2008-09 academic year on Tuesday.

For Renate Lee, becoming principal at Havelock Elementary School is like returning to her roots. She started her teaching career at Tucker Creek Middle School in Havelock.

"I am very blessed and I'm excited," said Lee, who goes by her nickname of Rennie. "I am looking forward to it. I know there are challenges, but I am ready and willing to meet them."

Tucker Creek and Arthur W. Edwards Elementary School are the other two opening their doors on Tuesday.

Lee was an assistant principal at H.J. McDonald Middle School in New Bern and at New Bern High School.

She also served as the writing coach for Craven County Schools for three years and worked at Craven Community College for five years.

Originally from Tinton, N.J., Lee graduated from N.C. Central University in Durham and will be in charge of the education of about 350 students at Havelock Elementary.

"I want to make sure that all of our students are receiving the best possible opportunities to be successful and to support our teachers in any way to see that that is accomplished," she said.

Kathy Leffler, who has been principal at the Arthur Edwards Elementary School for three years, said the walls of the school were getting a fresh coat of paint on Monday.

"We are always looking forward to the start of a new year, trying to get everything in place," she said.

She said she is anticipating about 550 students this year and sees no major changes at the school since children were dismissed for summer on June 9.

"We're just continuing on with what we have going on," she said.

She said the addition of a joint use playground between Havelock and the school last year will be beneficial for students.

"It will be used by the school during the day and by the neighborhood after school," she said.

Tucker Creek will open with two new assistant principals.

Tamara Samz is the former coordinator of the academically and intellectually gifted programs for Craven County Schools, while Shawn McCarthy taught at Havelock Middle for eight years and was most recently an assistant principal at Oaks Road Elementary in New Bern.

Meanwhile, Principal Danny Tripp will be working just half of the year until his retirement on Jan. 1. He said Angie Franks, principal at Bangert Elementary School, will take over his duties.

Tripp said he anticipates an increase in the 520 students who attended the school last year.

"It really depends on the growth of the base," he said.

Perhaps the biggest change this school year will be the cost of meals at area schools. The price of breakfast has increased to $1.15, while lunch will be $2.

Havelock's other schools on the traditional calendar start classes on Aug. 25.