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Welcome to Park Street Elementary School, home of the Park Street Panthers!
Dear Panther Families,
My name is Diona McIntire and I am honored to be chosen as your new principal! I look forward
to meeting our students, staff, parents, and community members. I am excited to begin working
together to continue the amazing work already occurring at Park Street. It is truly an honor and a
blessing to be a part of this wonderful community.
My passion for education began as a child watching my mother and grandmother teach and
impact the lives of students. I decided to pursue a career in education early on, and earned my
Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Education from the University of Delaware. My love for education
continued while teaching Spanish at Northwestern Middle School. I later earned a Specialist of
Educational Leadership degree from Kennesaw State University, and was promoted to the role of
Assistant Principal at New Prospect Elementary.
As we make the transition of leadership at Park Street, I am aware of the uncertainty, hesitation,
and eagerness that accompany any new leadership. Please know that I am committed to spending
the first few months getting to know you and our school community. One of my favorite
leadership quotes by Lisa Haisha is, “Great leaders don’t set out to be a leader, they set out to
make a difference. It’s never about the role, always about the goal.” My goal is to serve our
students, staff and community to help make a positive impact and difference in our students’
lives. As a team, we are focused on student achievement and creating an atmosphere where
students learn, grow, and thrive.
In closing, I look forward to collaborating as a school to help our learners reach their full
potential in both academic excellence and personal growth. Thank you for trusting me with your
most precious possession!Your Proud Panther Principal,
Diona McIntire, Ed.S.________________________________________________________________
Queridas familias Panteras:
Mi nombre es Diona McIntire y me siento honrada de haber sido elegida como su nueva
Directora. Espero tener pronto la oportunidad de conocer a nuestros estudiantes, personal, padres
y miembros de la comunidad. Estoy muy emocionada de comenzar a trabajar juntos para
continuar el increíble trabajo que ya están realizando en Park Street. Es realmente un honor y una
bendición ser parte de esta maravillosa comunidad.
Mi pasión por la educación comenzó cuando era una niña viendo a mi madre y abuela enseñar e
impactar la vida de los estudiantes. A temprana edad decidí seguir la carrera en educación y
obtuve mi Licenciatura en Educación de Español de la Universidad de Delaware. Mi amor por la
educación continuó mientras enseñaba español en Northwestern Middle School. Más tarde
obtuve un título de Especialista en Liderazgo Educativo de la Universidad Estatal de Kennesaw,
y fui promovida al puesto de Subdirectora en la Escuela Primaria New Prospect.
Estoy consciente de la incertidumbre, las dudas y el entusiasmo que acompañan a cualquier
transición de liderazgo. Sepan que me comprometo a pasar los primeros meses de esta transición
de liderazgo en Park Street conociéndolos a usted y a nuestra comunidad escolar. Una de mis
citas favoritas de liderazgo de Lisa Haisha es: "Los grandes líderes no se propusieron ser un
líder, se propusieron marcar la diferencia. Nunca se trata del rol, siempre del objetivo. Mi
objetivo es servir a nuestros estudiantes, personal y comunidad para ayudar a generar un impacto
positivo y una diferencia en la vida de nuestros alumnos. Como equipo, nos enfocamos en el
rendimiento del estudiante y en crear una atmósfera donde los estudiantes aprenden, crecen, y
prosperan.
Para terminar, espero colaborar como escuela para ayudar a nuestros alumnos a alcanzar su
máximo potencial tanto en la excelencia académica como en el crecimiento personal. ¡Gracias
por confiarme su más preciosa posesión!Su muy orgullosa directora pantera,
Diona McIntire, Ed.S.
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Ashley Bagwell-Assistant Principal
Ashley Bagwell is a native of Georgia, graduating from Agnes Scott College in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She spent her first ten years of teaching in Douglas, County where she obtained her gifted certification and co-authored a Math and Science Curriculum for the National Science Center. In 2002, she joined the Marietta City Schools team at West Side Elementary. During this time she earned her Masters of Education from Brenau University as well as her Leadership Certification from KSU. She is excited to start her eighth year as an Assistant Principal as a Park Street Panther!
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Alex Soto- Assistant Principal
Alex Soto, originally from New York City, moved to Atlanta in 2001. He graduated from Georgia State University in 2005 with a degree in US History. Before going to graduate school, Mr. Soto started teaching in Henry County via Georgia TAPP. He moved to Cobb County Schools in 2007 having served as both special education and general education teacher in different schools. He supported new educators at the New Teacher Institute, delivered professional development for Elementary English Language Arts, Co-Teaching models for IRR & General Education teachers, Differentiated and Data Collection for Special Education teachers, and IDEA Compliant IEPs. He graduated from Lincoln Memorial University with a degree in Curriculum & Instruction in 2013 and a degree in Educational Leadership from Berry College in 2017. He is proud to be a new member of the Marietta City Schools family and serve as the Assistant Principal for Park Street Elementary. GO PANTHERS!
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Dr. Velisa Caldwell-
Special Education Administrator
Dr. Velisa Caldwell is presently the Special Education Administrator (K-5). She has served for 21 years in Marietta City Schools. Her leadership experience spans across grades K-8. Dr Caldwell’s journey in education began her freshman year at the University of West Georgia (UWG) where she participated in a mentoring program at a local elementary school. After earning her B.A. in Psychology in 1992 from the University of West Georgia, Dr. Caldwell worked in a hospital setting serving adolescence with emotional and behavior difficulties for five years.
Dr. Caldwell entered Marietta City Schools in 1997 as a Special Education Teacher for students with Behavior Disorders. Not only has she worked as a special education teacher, she also served as the 8th grade girls basketball coach and 9th grade girls’ volleyball coach. Dr. Caldwell earned a master's degree in Education from Central Michigan University in 1998, and in 2008 she received her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Capella University.
In 2010, Dr. Caldwell transitioned from Marietta Middle School (MMS) to Park Street Elementary (PSE) as the Special Education Team Leader. She values the role of mentors in her life and she has enjoyed mentoring PSE staff members to help them become the best they can be. Dr. Caldwell believes all students will be successful with perseverance and a nurturing environment.
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Heather Welch- Academic Coach
Heather Welch has been a teacher for 22 years. She has taught every grade level kindergarten through fifth grade. Heather first started working in Cobb county schools as a remedial, special education and PE paraprofessional before becoming a first year teacher in 1997.
In the year 2000 Heather decided to make a move to Fulton county schools where she stayed for 14 years. During that period of time she opened a brand new school, was awarded teacher of the year two times (2006 & 2013), had multiple student teachers, served as a mentor teacher and taught county professional development. She taught many different grade levels and was later promoted to Curriculum Support Teacher (like an administrative assistant). This role provided her with administrative experiences such as advising new teachers, coaching/evaluating teachers (TKES) and serving as a professional learning facilitator.
Heather’s passion has always been helping other teachers help students. Coming to Marietta City schools was an opportunity for her to serve as a leader and instructional coach at Park St., Elementary school...her dream job!
Expertise:
Teacher Support Specialist
New Teacher Induction
Varied grade level experiences to draw upon
Supervising Teacher to Preservice teachers
Coaching Cycle
Professional Learning development
Instructional Strategies
