Interview with Ms. Melissa D. Hensley, M.Ed., Principal, Signal Knob Middle School, Shenandoah County, Virginia

According to the Online Merriam Webster Dictionary, the word "famous" means widely known and honored for achievement; Ms. Melissa "Missy" D. Hensley is definitely widely known as the Principal of Signal Knob Middle School in Shenandoah County, Virginia and has been recognized for her many achievements in sports and education. Furthermore, she is a renowned, celebrated and distinguished educator who believes beyond a shadow of a doubt that all children can and will learn if given a nurturing and supportive environment built upon high expectations.

Ms. Melissa "Missy" D. Hensley received many accolades for womens' basketball including the NCAA Womens' Basketball National Leading Scorer Award for Division III and was named a Kodak All-American while attending Eastern Mennonite University. Furthermore, her basketball uniform has been retired at EMU and to this day she remains the leading scorer for the Lady Royals Womens' Basketball Team. She received her B.S. in Health and Physical Education from EMU in April of 1992 and went on to earn an M.S. in Kinesiology from James Madison University in 1999. Ms. Hensley believes her athletic experiences have impacted her educational leadership style by providing guiding principals such as: dedication, motivation, determination, hard work ethics, perseverance and setting high expectations in her vision, mission, goals and objectives for building a cohesive team whose members are able to think critically and provide a sense of educational excellence that few schools are able to achieve.

As for Ms. Hensley's achievements in the realm of education: she taught health and physical education at Elkton Middle School in Rockingham County, Virginia from 1995-2004; earned her M.Ed. in Educational Administration from James Madison University in 2001; was selected as the Assistant Principal of Signal Knob Middle School in Shenandoah County, Virginia in 2004; and was awarded the Principalship of SKMS in 2007 where she remains to this day as a strong and effective Principal leader for Shenandoah County Public Schools.

Ms. Dishner:Knowing your background and that you grew up not having much in your childhood, and that you as a high school student were tracked into vocational classes, at what point did you realize that you wanted to further your education and what steps did you take to make that happen?

Ms. Hensley: That would have been my senior year of high school. I went to see my guidance counselor and got my classes changed.

Ms. Dishner:Prior to your senior year in high school, did you understand that you were not taking the classes necessary for entrance into college?

Ms. Hensley: No. Nobody told me that. Nobody in my family ever went to college.

Ms. Dishner:So when you figured out that you weren't taking the college entrance classes, what was your motivation to sign up for the classes and did you believe you could pass them?

Ms. Hensley: I wanted to play college basketball and the word "can't" wasn't and still isn't in my vocabulary. I knew that I could pass the classes.

Ms. Dishner:How has your experience being tracked into vocational classes in high school and almost missing the opportunity to attend college affected the way you place your students into their classes today in Signal Knob Middle School where you are the Principal?

Ms. Hensley: I set them all up to achieve at their highest levels.

Ms. Dishner:How do you know at what level they can achieve?

Ms. Hensley: I check their Virginia Standards of Learning scores, STAR scores, spelling inventories, QRI scores, elementary academic history, elementary discipline history, family history, their peer groups, their recommendations from their elementary school teachers and administrators.

Ms. Dishner: Do you feel like you are super vigilant with your students in discovering if they can better their performance and move ahead in classes due to your experience of being placed in a much lower track than you could achieve?

Ms. Hensley: Yes. In addition to checking their scores and backgrounds, I make sure I interact with my students daily and sometimes that's all it takes is an interaction to realize that a student's classes need to be adjusted.

Ms. Dishner: What is your favorite part about being a Principal?

Ms. Hensley: Creating a school environment where everything is about the kids and seeing them achieve and succeed where they didn't think they could or at higher levels than they thought they could.

Ms. Dishner: You have been the Principal of Signal Knob Middle School for three years now. What do you perceive as your most important and meaningful achievements?

Ms. Hensley: Our students are performing better in the classroom and in extracurricular activities and our school environment has become a cohesive unit focusing on educational issues and student achievement.

Ms. Dishner:What evidence do you have that would lead you to believe that your students are performing better and at higher levels than previous years?

Ms. Hensley: Our overall grade average is higher, our SOL scores are continuing to rise and we have a 96% graduation rate at the high school. We are accredited by the State of Virginia and we are getting closer to meeting AYP.

Ms. Dishner:What is AYP?

Ms. Hensley: The Federal Government defines AYP as Adequate Yearly Progress with twenty-nine indicators in reading and math.

Ms. Dishner:As AYP standards rise yearly, what do you do to prepare your school to reach AYP?

Ms. Hensley: We maintain a staff of Highly Qualified Teachers, we offer remediation both during and after school, we offer a core plus program which is a small group setting of students who receive instruction on study skills and test-taking strategies, we utilize reading and math specialists to guide and design remedial programs and curriculum and instruction. In addition, we provide on-going professional development such as book studies which provide research proven teaching strategies and outside specialist presentations which focus on integrating the teaching strategies into current instruction. Right now we are focusing on research based student-centered strategies which are taught by leading researchers in the field of education. The key to the professional development is that it is truly on-going meaning that all of the in-servicing builds on itself.

Ms. Dishner: What in your mind makes Signal Knob Middle School stand out from other middle schools?

Ms. Hensley: Our school is a cohesive unit and is student-focused.

Ms. Dishner:What do you mean by cohesive unit?

Ms. Hensley: Our school operates as a team which means that we are all in this together. Our school-wide theme this year is "Dare To Soar".

Ms. Dishner: What marks have you made on Signal Knob Middle School which are yours?

Ms. Hensley: Our core plus program, our book studies, our special speakers, Rachel's Challenge which is a character building program centering around kindness, our marque sign at the main entrance to the school, technology such as: SmartBoards, document cameras, flip cameras, the Skills Tutor Program, Ipod touch Mp3 players, Our Student Advisory Program, etc. In addition, we have made our school more inviting to the community by hosting a back to school picnic, a "Spring Fling", a Wellness Fair, a Career Fair, a Farm To School Program, various community service projects, we have adopted a stream, and we now have an Outdoor Club.

Ms. Dishner:Wow! I think that is amazing to put that much of yourself into community service!

Ms. Hensley: It's non-stop forward motion here at Signal Knob! I wouldn't have it any other way!

http://www.shenandoah.k12.va.us/skms