Denmark’s New Administrators: Meet the New Players on the Team
Denmark’s 20221 school year has started off with a few new changes. As we all know, Denmark High School has always had a reputation of having great administrators, and the new admin team doesn’t fall short of those expectations. Lindsey Needham, Patrick Coffield, Jarrell Florence, and Glenda Santiago are all new additions to our assistant principal team and have a great vision of where our school is headed. They hail from all different places like New York and South Carolina with varying stories and reasons for why they chose to join Denmark’s team.
Mr. Florence has been in education for twelve years, four of which he was an Assistant Principal at Valdosta High School. He is a husband and a father of three kids. His goal is to help students get acclimated and accustomed to school. He says, “I want to make sure everything runs smoothly and that kids get the education that they need.” Mr. Florence encourages all students to come to him for help. “I don’t care about the section in the alphabet that I’ve been given. Whoever needs me, I’m there.” Mr. Florence feels that it’s important for him to take the school to that next level and make it a monumental force for good in our community.
I want to let the students know that I am here for you. It doesn’t matter what’s happening. You’re equal and you have a place here–no matter your ethnicity, background, or path in life. — Mr. Florence
Mrs. Needham is from South Carolina and is a wife with two sons. She’s not new to Denmark, serving as the graduation coach last year, but was recently promoted to Assistant Principal. “I like supporting students and working with teachers so they can support the students.” As the assistant principal in charge of scheduling, Mrs. Needham wants to make sure that students’ needs are being met and that they can be offered all the classes that are available. Mrs. Needham takes her responsibilities seriously, but she also gets to have fun. “I love my job, and I love coming to work because it doesn’t feel like a job. I get to work with my best friend [Mr. Anderson]. I’ve known him for years and years. The fact that I get to work with people like him makes my job even more enjoyable.” Mr. Anderson is currently a SpecialEd teacher at Denmark High School who met Mrs.Needham when she taught SpecialEd at West Forsyth.
A high school diploma is extremely important, and I want to do my best to make sure every student gets one.
— Mrs. Needham
Mr. Cofield is not new to Forsyth county. He was previously an Assistant Administrator at Desana Middle School. “Knowing all of the students from Desana made coming to work here an easy transition.” He values family and has a wife and a son. With those family values always in the back of his mind, Mr. Cofield wants to give students a feeling of security. He hopes that students from Desana will see a familiar face and that he can help the students that hail from elsewhere adapt to school. Mr. Cofield is truly excited to be involved with Denmark and work with Mrs. Oliver and the rest of the staff. “I can’t wait to get to know all the students and go to all the games and plays.”
I’m trying to build relationships with students and teachers and make sure that the Denmark Dane experience is great for everybody.
— Mr. Cofield
Mrs. Santiago is a New York native, a wife, and a mother of three children. As she grew up, her Puerto Rican parents instilled the value of having an education into her just as she does for her own children. Despite going to college for a job in education, Mrs. Santiago previously had a career as a paralegal. She decided after working at a law firm for twenty years that her true passion was in education. She started teaching in New York City schools in 2004 and from there moved to Forsyth county. Her recent job was as an Assistant Principal of South Forsyth in 2018 before she came to Denmark. When she was offered the opportunity to come to Denmark, she embraced it because she felt like it was the right next step in her life. Mrs. Santiago wants to make a difference in student’s lives in whatever way she can. “I love people and I love helping anyone that needs my help. If a student needs help, I want them to know that they can come to me. If I don’t know the answer, we can find it together.”
What I want most is for students to feel that sense of belonging.
— Mrs. Santiago
As we can see from the stories and lives of all the new assistant principals, they all share similar values even though their responsibilities are different. They all value education, family, and making connections with the staff and the student body. Don’t hesitate to reach out to any of them if you have any questions or need help. Most importantly, be sure to give them a warm welcome when you see them.