Congratulations Mr. Knight. Mr. Knight accepted into the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program

J.H. Rose Band Family:

As you may have heard from the current band students, I have applied for and accepted a slot in the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program. This is a tremendous program offered through the state that will allow me to go back to school for two years and complete all coursework and internships required to receive a Masters degree in School Administration (MSA). The Fellows Program provides a healthy loan to pay costs and living expenses that is repayable by serving the state of NC for 4 years as a school administrator. Upon completing the degree, the plan would be to work as an Assistant Principal for a few years and then become a Principal.

After 16 years at JH Rose, I have very mixed feelings about this move. I will miss the students that make this program so great, the tremendous colleagues both at JHR and the other band directors in our region, and the families that have supported this program so well. At the same time, I am excited about starting a new chapter in my career. As I have told the students, my move away from the Rose Band Program is not due to a lack of satisfaction. In fact, things are going as well now as I could ever imagine, and I think that makes this a perfect time for an easier transition. I have been considering this move for the past 6+ years, but feel that everything is finally in place to ensure continued success in the foreseeable future.

We are very fortunate that Mr. Howard will remain in place as one of our directors and we hope to hire another outstanding teacher to work with him. I can assure you that in the short time that this change has been made known, we have already received close to 10 inquiries about the job. Several of these individuals are experienced and would be a great fit to work here. Once we decide on who will be joining the team, we will look in more detail about how classes and responsibilities will be distributed.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have. Also, as you get the opportunity, please let Mrs. Jacobson know how much we need to keep the program funded with two band director positions. I always worry that in times of change like this, not replacing an outgoing staff member makes for an easy reduction for budget purposes. While she has been very committed to the idea of retaining two full time positions in my discussions with her, I think hearing from parents about the importance of this will be beneficial.

Thank you all for your support of the program and the personal support that you have offered me over the years. I truly will miss working with all of you, but hope to stay involved in supporting the program from a different angle. Sincerely, Russell W. Knight