Miss Camden, Miss Camden Teen Crowned

Recently, Blaney Elementary’s new principal Dr. Chastity Evans hosted a Q&A event in the school cafeteria. During this event, Evans shared her goals and hopes for the 2023-2024 school year at Blaney. Evans comes to Blaney Elementary from Richard Carroll Elementary in Bamberg County, and decided to come to Blaney because of the small town atmosphere.

“I chose Blaney because I love that small town community,” says Evans. “I’ve worked in bigger schools, and while there is nothing wrong with that, I just prefer a small town. When our youngest son said he wished I worked closer to home, and this opportunity opened up, I applied for it, and I’m very happy to be here.”

During the Q&A, Blaney parents asked a variety of questions about what to expect from the new year, and a new principal. What follows are excerpts of parent questions and the replies shared by Dr. Evans.

How do you plan to handle bullying from both kids and teachers?

We can help overcome bullying by teaching students the definition of bullying. According to the National Center Against Bullying, “bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behavior that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm.” Every child has the right to feel safe and supported; Every single time an instance of bullying is reported, we will address it. This cannot be taken lightly. Students cannot learn if they do not feel the teacher cares about them. If a child perceives that they are being bullied by a teacher, we will work together to immediately resolve the issue. I would use a team approach: parent(s), child, teacher, and administrator so that everyone feels they have a voice in determining a resolution. Bullying by anyone will not be tolerated. We will always follow school and district policy. This district has an anti-bullying campaign in place to assist. Sometimes during the course of researching situations that have been reported , we find there is an ongoing argument between two kids and we work with them to resolve that. Our school counselor does a great job working with kids and teaching them how to get along, and what to do when they’re angry, and how to handle things appropriately.

Last year we could come in once a week to eat with our kids at lunch if we signed up on a sign up sheet in advance. Will you still offer that?

Yes. You will still be allowed to come on Wednesday’s as long as you sign up in advance. This is not because we don’t want parents in the building. It’s because the cafeteria is so small and there's very little seating. If you plan to eat lunch with your child in the cafeteria, the meal is $4.85. I would LOVE for you to be involved at BES. Become a volunteer!

What is your plan to get to know each kid by name?

At my previous school, I knew almost every student by name. My goal is to learn at least 10 names a day. Names are important. When you call a student by name, they feel seen and cared about. It may take me a while to learn all 800 names, but I will eventually get there. That’s another reason why I like to see the students in the mornings, during lunch, and after school. I learn who they are so much faster by being in classrooms, eating lunch with them or visiting them while they are on the playground during recess.

Can you institute a policy that discourages sending kids to school sick and keeping sickness out of school?

A principal does not and cannot make policy. Only a school board is allowed to do that. Our school nurses take the lead on this. If a teacher suspects a child is sick, they would immediately send them to the school nurse to evaluate. The nurse would make the determination as to whether or not the student is allowed to remain at school. I can assure you no one is okay with students who are sick remaining at school. Everything we do at an elementary school is about teaching. We teach appropriate behaviors, and one of those things we try to teach is washing hands after the bathroom, and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing – sometimes using a cute rhyme or saying to help kids remember what to do. We also always have hand sanitizer.

Can you please offer some grace and leniency for morning drop off procedures, and possibly utilize both lanes?

It is very important for students to arrive on time. They miss important aspects of the day when they do not arrive on time and it’s very disruptive not only to the teacher, but to their classmates. We cannot use both lanes in the mornings because we simply do not have enough staff available to keep students safe. It’s extremely dangerous for students to cross in front of other cars. I know it takes a little longer, but our first priority is to keep your students safe. At this time, I cannot say whether or not I will continue with the 5-minute grace period. It’s better for everyone if students are at school on time, for the reasons that I stated above. If there is a specific reason that you cannot get your student(s) to school on time, please reach out to me personally to discuss how we might be able to work together.