It was announced at the Oxford Community Schools Board of Education meeting on Jan. 20 that two OCS Principals will be retiring.
Leonard Elementary School Principal Dianna Zink will be retiring from her position on Feb. 28, 2010.
She will be leaving the district and move to Louisville, Kentucky to be with her family during a time of illness.
Zink said that she was leaning towards retirement over the Christmas break. Her decision was confirmed after she received updated news of her family members condition following the break.
She began working with OCS in August 1993. She served for 16 years as the Director of the Early Childhood Center in Oxford before she became the principal at Leonard Elementary this past year.
‘There will always be a piece of my heart left in Oxford for sure. It’s been a huge part of my career,? Zink said.
She would like to thank everyone that has been part of her time in Oxford. She added that ‘she is very excited about the direction the district is going under Dr. Skilling.?
Clear Lake Elementary Principal Suzanne Hannant will be retiring on Jan. 31. However, Hannant will be contracted by the district through Professional Contract Management, Inc and continue in her role of elementary principal.
Her contract runs through the end of this year and the 2010-2011 school year.
Hannant said she felt like she had reached what she could do with her retirement pay, and she didn’t want to retire and not work.
‘This gave me an opportunity to do both,? she said. ‘I see no reason to not continue being a part of what is going on in our district.?
Hannant has been with the Oxford School District for 34 years. She was hired as Teacher Consultant for the Elementary level before moving into the classroom as a special education teacher at Leonard and Clear Lake.
She said that some of her fondest memories were watching the kids she worked with in the special education program grow before her eyes. ‘You felt like you were helping raise that child with the parents, watching them grow in their academic and social skills,? she said.
Hannant became the principal at Clear Lake Elementary during the 2005-2006 school year. Prior to that, she served as Leonard’s principal beginning in 1988.
‘I had no desire to leave once I came here. When I came here I found what I was able to do, and given the strong part of that was the community feeling within the school system and community, I found no reason to look elsewhere,? Hannant said.