Celebrating National Principals Month: Robert Van Alstyne of Sequoyah HS!

October is National Principals Month! Our Principals are amazing instructional leaders dedicated to ensuring our students learn more, grow more, and achieve more in our classrooms than they could anywhere else!  We’re recognizing these inspiring leaders with special posts throughout the month. Please join us in thanking them for all they do to support our mission of being the highest performing school district in Georgia.

Sequoyah High School Principal Robert Van Alstyne

Why did you want to become a teacher?
When I was a junior in high school, my varsity basketball coach, Bill Farden, arranged a youth basketball league for elementary students on Saturdays.  He had his players act as the coaches for the league.  We were responsible for teaching skills and organizing the players.  It was something I really enjoyed and this, along with the great teachers I had at Kingsford Park ES, led me to become a physical education teacher and coach.

Who was the most influential teacher in your life?
There are several and they came from the same school.  When I was in the middle of third grade, our family moved to Oswego, NY and I became the new student at Kingsford Park ES.  Coming to a new school can be difficult and even more so when there are only three months left in the school year.  Mrs. Lazarski (classroom teacher) and Mrs. Franczak (PE teacher) really made me feel welcome and I was grateful for that.  My fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Nix, really challenged her students and made us believe we could do anything, no matter how difficult it may seem.

What’s a favorite memory from your first year as a teacher?
There are several, but the biggest takeaway from that first year is the most important thing for the success of a teacher comes from the relationships established with the students. 

How did teaching prepare you to be a Principal?
I always treated teaching as a career, not a job, and worked hard to be a professional in every aspect.  I feel this mindset prepared me for the leadership opportunities I have earned.  This is what I work to foster with the staffs I have worked with as a colleague, mentor, leader.

#CCSDElevateTheExcellence #ThankAPrincipal