Source: oquirrtimes.com
Walk inside Pleasant Green Elementary and you will find Mrs. Sandburg, the schools’ secretary for the past 23 years, coordinating the school. Just past her desk is the Principals’ office. It is a daunting place for most students, but inside you will find a sweet woman with graying hair, sparkly jingling bracelets, stylish shoes and a big smile. She is kind and loving to her students, staff and families. The walls of her office are covered in pictures drawn for her by the students of Pleasant Green and, thank you cards from families and letters from past and present students. This office belongs to Dr. Sharon Prescott, principal of Pleasant Green Elementary school.
She earned her Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degree as an Education Specialist. She was a teacher and counselor for eleven years at Granite High and Taylorsville High School, District Administrator for thirteen years and elementary school principal for the past twelve years. Of all the roles she has served as an educator , being principal has been her favorite.
She did not start her career wanting to be an educator; instead she had started her post high school education headed for a nursing degree. It was during a clinical class at a local hospital that she changed her mind. “In the nursing field you see people at their worst; in education you get the chance to see people at their very best” (Sharon Prescott 3/2/2013).
She did not start her career wanting to be an educator; instead she had started her post high school education headed for a nursing degree. It was during a clinical class at a local hospital that she changed her mind. “In the nursing field you see people at their worst; in education you get the chance to see people at their very best” (Sharon Prescott 3/2/2013).
Dr. Prescott has served as the principal of Pleasant Green Elementary for four years. As principal she is involved in all aspects of school life. The economic demographic around Pleasant Green is changing; with the opening of a new elementary school in Magna, the boundaries have been restructured, and these changes have caused Pleasant Green to no longer be a Title One school. Being a Title One school reflects the economic status of the families attending, and although being in an area of low income families may cause some to frown, Dr. Prescott says that some of her best families are those that fall into that category. She believes the economic status of those families is directly related to being underemployed and/or undereducated. There are many benefits that Pleasant Green provides even without the benefit of Title One dollars.
If there is a student with a need the Granite Education foundation has a program where Dr. Prescott can apply for backpacks, hygiene kits, bus passes, and certificates for $25.00 to Wal-Mart, Smiths and Payless Shoes. Every week she submits the names of four or five students to receive these much- needed benefits. The school has had 100 backpacks donated from another Westside school that had received an enormous gift of hundreds of backpacks from a local law office. This year the LDS church gave the school backpacks filled with school supplies. Our school has several students that are being raised by grandparents, and the school is trying to coordinate help and assistance to those families.
Beyond the basic needs of her students, Dr. Prescott goes out of her way every day to spend time with and enjoy the students. She is in the halls in the morning saying hello and visiting with the students, she spends time in the breakfast room, and visits each grade for lunch. She tries to spend time in the lunch room every day. She goes into classrooms either to drop in to watch and interact, or by invitation to spend time with classes. She is often a “reward” to classes. As a self-proclaimed rock nerd she will go into classrooms and give small presentations on her latest rock collection, and then lets each student pick one of their favorites to take home.
She likes to spend recess outside with the kids, or in her office sharing her rock collection to students that come to visit. She says it is always a surprise how much little things mean to her students. She is always available to hear about upcoming birthdays, talk about family fun and even give comic book reviews. She loves her students and gives that same affection to parents and families. Parents are always welcomed to voice their concerns, and Dr. Prescott tries to work with parents and families to do what is best for the student to help them be successful and cared for at home and school.
If there is a student with a need the Granite Education foundation has a program where Dr. Prescott can apply for backpacks, hygiene kits, bus passes, and certificates for $25.00 to Wal-Mart, Smiths and Payless Shoes. Every week she submits the names of four or five students to receive these much- needed benefits. The school has had 100 backpacks donated from another Westside school that had received an enormous gift of hundreds of backpacks from a local law office. This year the LDS church gave the school backpacks filled with school supplies. Our school has several students that are being raised by grandparents, and the school is trying to coordinate help and assistance to those families.
Beyond the basic needs of her students, Dr. Prescott goes out of her way every day to spend time with and enjoy the students. She is in the halls in the morning saying hello and visiting with the students, she spends time in the breakfast room, and visits each grade for lunch. She tries to spend time in the lunch room every day. She goes into classrooms either to drop in to watch and interact, or by invitation to spend time with classes. She is often a “reward” to classes. As a self-proclaimed rock nerd she will go into classrooms and give small presentations on her latest rock collection, and then lets each student pick one of their favorites to take home.
She likes to spend recess outside with the kids, or in her office sharing her rock collection to students that come to visit. She says it is always a surprise how much little things mean to her students. She is always available to hear about upcoming birthdays, talk about family fun and even give comic book reviews. She loves her students and gives that same affection to parents and families. Parents are always welcomed to voice their concerns, and Dr. Prescott tries to work with parents and families to do what is best for the student to help them be successful and cared for at home and school.
Pleasant Green Single-Parent Family
She extends the same love and attention to students who live at home with Mom and Dad and six brothers and sisters as the family who lives in a shelter and rides the bus to get their children to school. Sharon Prescott is an educator that loves her school, her students, and families, and works hard every day to make a difference at Pleasant Green Elementary.