Pinecrest Elementary is the hidden gem that Principal Megan Hicks is grateful she found.
It is the only school in the Ouachita Parish School District off LA-557 and located in the most southern part of the parish.
“We are very much a family environment,” Hicks said. “It’s a small-knit community. The staff and everybody are so supportive of each other. We are a hidden gem a lot of people don’t know about.”
The location of Pinecrest is not the only unique detail about the school. It is also the only school in the district that goes from Pre-K through 8th grade. Most elementary schools go through 5th grade.
“The schedule for Pinecrest is like solving a puzzle,” Hicks said. “We have a lot of factors that don’t apply to other schools. We have to accommodate all these grades, like access to the gym and elective classes in the morning. I try to set things up to get as much bang for their buck. That’s important to me, while trying to work it to where teachers get adequate breaks and can collaborate and support.”
Hicks is entering her 22nd year in education and 14th total at Pinecrest Elementary.
She spent 9 years in the classroom at Pinecrest, teaching fourth and fifth grade with no desire to move into administration. That changed when then-principal Don Tumey saw something in her and pushed her to get more involved with leadership.
“I started working with Teacher Leader and professional development and the faculty and just fell in love with that,” Hicks said. “I loved supporting and helping teachers.”
Hicks made the jump to the front office after Tumey announced his retirement. She became then-principal Sheree Dear’s curriculum coordinator for the past 5 years before Dear’s retirement.
Hicks earned her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Louisiana Tech. She said in one of her administrative classes she was taught not to change too much in the first year, but there are a lot of little things that are on her list.
Hicks said one of her biggest goals as principal is to get the campus back to where it was before COVID. She wants parents and the community to feel welcomed coming back into the school and being more involved.
“I want to unite that a little bit better,” Hicks said. “I feel like having that support trickles down into the classroom.”
She also knows that her role trickles down into the classroom as well.
“I try to make sure I am smiling, addressing or interacting with students as much as possible,” Hicks said. “I have to be intentional about this, so I think about it constantly throughout my day. You never know what a student needs or what they are going through, and it takes little effort to show a student that you care.”
Hicks is spending the days leading up to the new school year meeting with her faculty as well. It is just as important to her to let them know she cares and to provide a listening ear.
“They have been very supportive,” Hicks said. “I tried to meet with each of them and get feelers on what they’re happy with, what they want to see change, and how I can better support them. I think just trying to make sure they know they can come to me when they need something.
“They have been super supportive and so if they’re happy, everybody’s happy. We are very blessed out here at Pinecrest. It definitely makes coming to work enjoyable and fun.”
THE HICKS FILE:
2001-2002: Farmerville High School
2002-2006: West Monroe High School
2006-2010: Claiborne Elementary
2010-2018: Pinecrest Elementary
2018-2023: Pinecrest Elementary, Curriculum Coordinator
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