August 31, 2017
Dr. Dana Burns is getting used to a new room at the high school: her own office.
Burns was formerly a science teache at Pattonville for 10 years, but decided she needed a change. She applied for the position of principal when it opened, replacing Ms. Cara Hiripitiyage who moved to the Learning Center.
Her decision to become a principal was driven by her goals to help others.
“I am now able to work on a broader scope with students and staff other than just in the classroom.”
She is also thrilled to be able to work with the English department as she has been working with science for a decade.
Burns is definitely excited to see what comes with this new spot.
“You get to interact with students on a different level,” she said. “You get to see them out of the classroom more, you get to see them at lunch with their friends and see who they hang out with.”
As she has been teaching for so long, Burns mentioned that it was very weird and different to not be planning a class for this year and semester.
“I’ve already missed creating and developing lessons for science,” she said. “It was very weird walking back into my classroom. I’ve accumulated a lot of stuff.”
Being principal may be different and new for Burns, but she is very happy she still gets to work with students, even if it may be on different terms.
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