Welcome Panther Parents & Students:
My name is Travis Dickey, and I am honored to serve as principal at ECMS because I know well the dedicated folks who have served before me. I was a student at ECMS sometime ago, although back then it was called Central Junior High. Dr. Franklin Goldwire was principal, and the school was on Wallace Drive, where the Central Learning Center is now. It has been a while, so my memories are vague and hazy, but I remember enough to know that I had many mentors who taught me and shaped me and set me on a path to become one who loves learning. People like Mrs. Mullis and Coach Parker, Mrs. Jones and Mr. Kent, Mr. Lang and Mr. Martin, and others too many to name.
Oh I'm not going to lie. I wasn't the best student. I was a good student, just not the best. Luckily my teachers had patience with me, and they continued to challenge and push me, and planted seeds for learning that eventually bore fruit. I ended up becoming quite a dedicated student by the time I reached the University of Georgia. Nowadays, learning is my passion.
My hope for students at ECMS is that they discover the joys of learning earlier than I did. Or, I guess I should say, the joys of academic learning. I've always been interested in learning sports and how to relate to my friends. I've also always enjoyed watching and learning from movies. While these are viable and important forms of learning, I was too late in discovering that science can be fascinating, that math is in nearly everything we do, that social studies is necessary to understand the context in which we live, and that language connects us all.
So at ECMS, this is the goal: to inspire students to love learning—in all its forms. We have programs to teach physical, social, emotional, artistic, academic learning, and more, and our intention is to guide students with the same grace and patience that our teachers and mentors guided us. No, we're not perfect. But we strive every day to be the best we can, to help students be the best they can, and we welcome you, both students and parents, to join us.
Sincerely,
Travis Dickey
Principal
tdickey@effingham.k12.ga.us
