Watch them bloom: Walls hopes to watch Rosemont students grow, succeed

Published 7:03 pm Monday, August 6, 2018

New Rosemont Elementary School principal Dannette Walls hopes to see her students blossom like the flowers she grows in her garden. Walls said she plants zinnias and hydrangeas and brings them into the front office of the schools where she’s worked.

“I usually bring fresh cut flowers to school, and I keep them at the front,” Walls said. “It’s a pick-me-up for the staff and those entering the school. I do like my flowers.”

Walls has worked in education for 20 years, and last served as Hillcrest Elementary School’s instruction specialist. Walls started teaching at Cannon Street Elementary School before becoming the school’s instructional specialist. Walls then worked as an instructional specialist at Whitesville Road Elementary School before Hillcrest.

As an instruction specialist, Walls said she would focus on curriculum and instruction at the schools. 

Walls said she originally worked in a construction business after getting her bachelor’s degree at LaGrange College. Walls would draw and design metal strand buildings and house plans in addition to bookkeeping and secretarial duties.

“Previous to my work as an educator, I had a business degree and was in that corporate arena for a bit,” Walls said. “Then my children were born, and I began teaching at St. Mark’s Kindergarten … My love for that work grew at that point in time. That’s when I went back (to school) and got an add-on to teach and then later administration. It was really a love that grew after my children were born.”

Walls said she has carried over skills from the business world to the schools she’s taught at, such as organization.

“[Examples are] the managerial pieces of knowing operations of the business and the duties that come with the secretarial responsibilities as well as just the organization of your day to day responsibilities, deadlines that have to be met, keeping things prioritized,” Walls said. 

A Troup County native, Walls graduated from Hogansville High School. Walls has been married to her husband Tony for 36 years. She has two sons, Jake and Luke. Jake works on a Naval base in Jacksonville, Florida, and Luke works as a nurse at WellStar West Georgia Medical Center.

Walls said her focus for this year at Rosemont is building relationships with her staff, students and their families. Walls said she’s already had a good experience with Rosemont.

“The staff is very welcoming, the children and parents I met on registration day are precious,” Walls said. “I am very excited about taking what we’ve got going on here and moving forward with it.”

Walls said her favorite thing about elementary education is the children and supporting the teachers.

“I just feel very blessed to be a part of this Rosemont family,” Walls said. “I think that there are great things happening here, great support from the community. I want to continue and keep this little school growing and help these children become thinkers and ready for the workforce when their time comes to branch out there and figure out what they’re going to do in life. I want them to be prepared.”