OUR NEW PRINCIPAL HAS RETURNED!
Carney has a new principal named Mrs. Reidy. However, Mrs. Reidy is not new to Carney. She has returned back to Carney after being the principal at Elizabeth Carter Brooks Elementary School for the past three years. After Mrs.Treadup accepted the position of Deputy Superintendent for New Bedford Public Schools there was an opening to lead the best elementary school in New Bedford; Sgt. William H. Carney Academy.
Mrs. Reidy never envisioned herself as becoming a principal. When she was working as a teacher here at Carney she was encouraged by other principals to begin taking classes to join school administration. Why? She was good at teaching and they thought she would make a great principal. However, returning back to Carney made her a little bit anxious. She was happy to see old friends and new students, but it was her first year back at a larger school. Carney is approximately 2.5 times larger than Brooks, which means Mrs. Reidy was taking on potentially more problems and responsibilities.
As her first year as principal at Carney is winding down she has been able to reflect a little about this year and her plans for next year. When asked about how her first year has gone Mrs. Reidy said, “... it is going exceptionally well.” But, there is always room for improvement and at any school, there is a certain amount of money that can be spent and she has been looking at the budget to “...use it on the things our school needs most.” We, as students, were most interested in how the school will look next year through upgrades.
Next year there might be some improvements. Hopefully, there will be more lunch options, specifically chocolate milk. She hopes to fix up the library with new furniture, but more importantly, she wants to honor our great city and the history within; paintings, maps, and other historical New Bedford items. As another way to show pride in our school, Mrs. Reidy would like to improve our school bathrooms. Mrs. Reidy is one of 10 children, so she knows the importance of a good bathroom.
The only changes will not exist inside the building as Mrs. Reidy has been collaborating with Mr. Turner, our PE teacher, to make recess a bully-free, learning environment for students. Specific games will be developed and utilized at recess to prevent bullying, encourage teamwork, gain exercise, and that should lead to better testing and classroom performances.
Mrs. Reidy may be returning to her old stomping grounds, but her plan is to make new changes to remind everyone why Sgt. William H. Carney Academy is the best elementary school in New Bedford.
By Nathan Medeiros Jr., Kirra Berberena, Olivia Fasano, Kamryn Shaw
Photos by Marcel Almeida