(March 2015) Barry Davis, kindergarten-12 principal of Lyme Central School, a rural school in Jefferson County, has been selected as the recipient for the 2015 K-12 Building Principal of the Year Award by the School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS).
The K-12 Building Principal Award was created to recognize the unique characteristics of a K-12 building and the related demands, expectations, and challenges of a principal in this multi-level environment. It is given annually to a SAANYS member who is a successful K-12 principal, a recognized educational leader, and who demonstrates leadership in establishing the pace, character, and mission of the building and demonstrates creativity and resourcefulness in providing comprehensive programs and services for all levels and grades.
Davis, who has been an educator at this small rural K-12 school of 365 students for the past 30 years, has been its leader for the last eight years. He is known for his dedication and community relationship building within the local area.
“He is a champion for all students and has a deep concern for his ‘school family’… Mr. Davis is a strong advocate for our music, art, and theater departments. His personal love for the arts drives his desire to expose our students to opportunities they would not otherwise have,” said Pat Gibbons, director of pupil services.
In conjunction with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Davis recently wrote and received a grant to build a high tunnel greenhouse at the school. Not only are the students able to engage in science experiments and participate in growing their own food for use in the cafeteria, but the school was able to donate more than six hundred pounds of produce to the local community food pantry.
Cammy Morrison, interim superintendent of schools said, “Mr. Davis continues to strive toward his goal of ensuring student, faculty, and district success as a building level administrator. He has a wealth of valuable experiences in the field of education and I believe is most sincere regarding his desire to continuously improve and build upon his aptitude as an educational leader. He genuinely cares for our stakeholders at Lyme, our students, their families, and our staff.”
Davis will be honored for his accomplishments at an awards ceremony on May 8 at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, New York.
SAANYS represents nearly 7,200 school administrators, supervisors, and coordinators. As a professional association, SAANYS is committed to providing direction, service, and support to the membership in their efforts to improve the quality of education and leadership in New York State schools. SAANYS is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).