Freshmen aren’t the only new kids at Langley this year.  As the new students explored school for the first time, so did the new principal, Mrs. Kimberly Greer.

Greer’s career began as an 8th grade English teacher at Key Middle School.  After eight years of teaching, she took a short break to have her oldest daughter. Two years later she continued her career by teaching 8th grade Civics at Hayfield, followed by switching to 7th grade U.S. History two years later. At that point, she was moved from a classroom teacher to an administrative position at Westfield High School.

Her career as an administrator started with four years at Westfield High School, followed by six years at Marshall High School.  At Marshall, Greer held an assistant principal position up until the 2017-2018 school year. At that point, she was hired by Langley to take the place of Mr. Fred Amico.

Each school within and outside of FCPS is unique and adjusting between the two will pose challenges to even the most adaptable of people. Luckily, Greer has found that her move to Langley has been a relatively smooth transition.

“Both schools are really, really good but each school has its’ own different vibe and different culture.  The biggest thing I’ve noticed here is that the students seem to be really comfortable with adults in this building.  Which is really nice! The kids at Marshall were really nice, but sometimes I would say hi to them in the hallways and they would look frightened!  So the comfort level and the fact that you guys do feel comfortable interfacing and having exchanges with adults is really cool,” Greer said.

Setting goals is an important part of starting the school year off in the right direction. In Greer’s own philosophy, she has decided to call her vision for Langley “The Four Cs”.

“The first C has to be caring.  You think about teenagers and there’s a potential that sometimes you guys are in your own bubble and it’s all about you.  At least, the three that live in my house have that sometimes happening. So I think it’s important that we instill in you a sense of kindness and empathy.  Being able to think about others and see past yourselves. To care for one another, but also recognizing that that extends to yourself as well,” Greer said.

The second of  Greer’s 4 Cs is connected.  As principal, she envisions Langley as a community where students have their own place where they belong.   Greer wants students to have something about Langley that excites them and gives them a reason to get up in the morning.

“The third C, which is my favorite, is celebrate.  I love a good time. I call it a party with a purpose.  We have to come, we need to be here, there are certain boxes we have to check, but no one says we have to be miserable while we’re doing it, right?  I love the smiles,” Greer said.

The fourth, and final, C is not only a goal of the  Greer, but one of all of the administration and staff.  The goal of education as a whole is to prepare students for wherever they may go following high school, and  Greer wants her students to be as prepared as possible.

“At the end of four years, you’re going to commence.  That is the last C. It’s really interesting because we always think about commencement as the end of high school, but the word actually means to begin.  So, ultimately, we’re getting you guys ready to begin the next phase,” Greer said.

Long meetings, crazy schedules, and spending endless hours with teenagers poses the question, why become an administrator?  

“The ability to help all kids.  As a teacher you’re helping the kids in your class but there are global opportunities to make sure kids are getting what they need day-to-day.  So that’s what really drew me to the position, you know. I like to think that I did the best I could for the kids that I taught, but just knowing that the ability to impact was limited is what really made me move into it,” Greer said.

As the second week of school comes to a close, Greer intends on connecting further with the Langley student body, immersing herself in the Saxon Community, and ensuring that this year will be the best yet.