Things are buzzing at Riverlawn Elementary School, and Principal Kimberly Sink is one of the many reasons why students and staff alike are enjoying an excitable and enjoyable learning environment. From their new archery component of physical education to their unusually creative morning announcements, the school keep students and staff moving in a positive direction daily.
“I was born and raised in Pulaski County,” Mrs. Sink said. “I married my high school sweetheart, Mike Sink. We have two children, Taylor and Austin. Taylor is 23-years old and teaches theatre at Pulaski County Middle School. Austin is a senior attending the Southwest Virginia Governor's School, and when he graduates, he wants to pursue an engineering degree through Virginia Tech in hopes of eventually becoming an aerospace engineer. Mike works as a mechanic at Radford University, and we’ll be celebrating our 27th anniversary in November.”
Mrs. Sink is a true hometown success story. She graduated from PCHS with the Class of 1995, then earned her Associates Degree in Police Science from New River Community College in 1998.
“I always wanted to be an investigator when I grew up,” Sink admitted. “I found out that the everyday work as a police officer was not a step I was willing to take to become an investigator, so I went back to school.”
She graduated from Radford University in 2002, and began her teaching career in Grayson County as a kindergarten and then second-grade teacher. She moved back to Pulaski County in 2004, taking a job as a fourth-grade teacher at Claremont Elementary School, which merged into Pulaski Elementary School. In 2009, she took a job as the School Improvement Coach for Pulaski County Public Schools, specifically working with Pulaski Elementary and the Virginia Department of Education.
“I completed my Masters in Instructional Technology in 2011, and my Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership in 2013, both through Virginia Tech,” Sink said. “I spent three years as assistant principal at Pulaski Elementary School before becoming the principal here at Riverlawn in 2016.”
So, what does it take to reach goals like these?
“Hard work, perseverance, and support from the people who care the most about me,” she said. “That is the message I share often with students. They are the ones responsible for their success. They must put forth hard work, persevere when things get tough, and lean on the ones who care for them when help is needed. If children can learn this, then the sky really is the limit for them.”
Like her counterparts at the other schools in the county, Sink has plenty of memories from her trip to the top.
“It’s hard to narrow down just a couple of favorite memories prior to becoming a principal,” Sink said. “I loved teaching my students. One of my favorite memories was when one of my classes begged to have a class pet. While I loved the idea, I didn’t want to have to worry about taking care of it on the weekends. So, one of my students, Erin, volunteered to bring her guinea pig to school on Monday and leave it during the school week for all of us to enjoy. At the end of the week, she would pack up her guinea pig to take home for the weekend or holidays. Everyone in the class loved the ‘Rent a Class Pet’ idea. Erin, who graciously volunteered to share her pet, loved having her classmates take care of it and love it during the week.”
Being in charge of a sizeable elementary school comes with rewards and challenges.
“My favorite part of being principal is interacting with the students,” Mrs. Sink said. “I love to see them in the hallway and stop them to talk. A lot of times I will get a big hug with a, ‘Hey, Mrs. Sink.’ Children are the reason I went into education. I love to see them grow and learn especially from the time they start PK to fifth grade.”
“There are a lot of challenges being a principal,” she continued. “However, I always try to stay positive and not focus on those. I challenge myself and the Riverlawn staff to be happy and positive, even when it’s hard. That helps the challenge to seem a little less challenging. However, if I had to pick one, I would say standardized testing is the biggest challenge. Children are all so unique in their personalities and grow at different rates physically and academically. It is challenging to hold them all at the same level of rigor and push them to always do more. The data from the standardized test is needed and very important to use to reach each child. I just wish educational agencies would give schools a little grace and trust that we as professionals are meeting each child at where they are at to continue to help them grow.”
What would Mrs. Sink say to a student who is considering going into the education field when they grow up?
“Be the teacher you needed as a student,” she said. “I have spent my career focusing on that belief. When it comes down to the basics, all students need to feel connected and a part of a classroom, team, and community. When I taught, my main goal was to build a classroom where all students felt safe to be themselves and learn. As a principal, my main goal is to build a school community where teachers feel safe to use their talents and students feel like they are part of the community.”
No one reaches this level in their profession without a strong support staff. Mrs. Sink has a large one.
“There are several people who I owe a special thanks to helping support my life and career,” she said. “My biggest supporters would be my grandmother Mildred Thompson (who passed away last December), my mom, Debbie Smith, and my aunt Linda Thompson. These ladies helped take care of my children so I could dedicate the time necessary to constantly continue my education while working full time and raising a family. Without that support, I am not sure I would be where I am today.”
“There are other individuals who supported growing me as an educator, like Barbara Cain, who I often refer to as my ‘Mama B,’” Sink added. “She taught me strategies and new ways of reaching students who needed additional support. Ruth Vordo taught me patience for working through difficult situations. Linda Edwards taught me how to be tenacious, brave, and strong when it comes to having uncomfortable conversations and making hard decisions. Steve Hale taught me the importance of data-based decision making to ensure our children are learning. All of these individuals are key players to guiding me in my career choices and influencing me to be the educator I am today.”
Mrs. Sink is proud of her school, and is always looking to shine a positive light on it.
“It is an honor to serve as principal of such an amazing school community. Riverlawn Elementary has an entire staff that works very hard and is passionately dedicated to making sure all students are successful. Everyone working together makes the Riverlawn family. I honestly feel I couldn’t have been blessed any more than I am now. Riverlawn is the place to be and in my opinion the best elementary school around.”