ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 20, 1995 TAG: 9512200022
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: OUR SCHOOL'S FINEST
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATEE
Occupation: Principal, Elliston-Lafayette Elementary School
Age: 42
Family: Divorced; mother of an 18-year-old, 20-pound cat named Bandit
Home town: White House Station, N.J.
Best decision ever made: Going into teaching
Worst decision: "I don't have any professional decisions I regret. When you go to something new, it's an adventure. Was I scared to be an administrator? Yes, but it always works out."
First job out of college: Teaching kindergarten in Franklin County
Hobbies: Gardening. Boyle points to several thriving African violets around her office and says she can revive even the sickest-looking plant. (For violets, she recommends adding juice from a tea bag and a touch of epsom salt to one gallon of water.)
Ideal day off: Right now, most of her day would be spent working on her dissertation. She should earn her doctorate in educational leadership by June.
Favorite possession: Her photo albums
Ever since she became principal five years ago, Denise Boyle has spent her summers visiting the homes of every kindergartner signed up for school.
Of the 235 students in her school, she knows every name, and most of their parents' names, too.
When groups take field trips, Boyle reminds them how special they are: "Where are we from?" she'll remind the pupils. "Don't forget, we've got Elliston manners."
When she was moved from being an assistant principal at Christiansburg Primary School to the more rural, less affluent corner of Montgomery County five years ago, some people told her it was a demotion. Boyle said she knew they were wrong.
"I work with a warm and congenial staff, and this is the most loving, giving group of children we have," she said.
Though her hard, New Jersey accent may stand out among the Southern twang of her co-workers and students, Boyle said she feels at home. She said she's aware - and glad - that her school is the primary focus for the community of Elliston.
"This school is supported by and important to this community," she said.
In June, Boyle will be finishing up her doctorate from NOVA Southeastern University, a Florida-based school with a site in Danville. Her dissertation will focus on, appropriately enough, family and community involvement in the schools.
The worst part of her job, she said, is "not being able to give opportunities to all my students. I would like for all my kids to go home and not have to worry about whether they'll have food or electricity so they could take care of being a child."
The best part? "All the hugs and [when the kids say] 'I love you, Miss Boyle.'"
Boyle said she loves coming to work every morning - especially because she still is involved with pupil learning.
Take pennies, for example. When a pupil sitting next to her at lunch said he had a million baseball cards, Boyle decided it was time the children understand the concept of such a high number.
So, for the past two years, students have brought in pennies - more than 272,000 of the Lincoln heads - just to reach 1 million.
At penny pep rallies, classes compete for the coveted penny banner showing they've collected the most for the month. And, unbeknownst to the pupils, they're leaning a math lesson at the same time.
What happens if they reach $1 million worth of pennies?
"I told them I'd sleep on the roof," she said, shaking her head and laughing. "I just hope we get there in the summer."
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM/Staff. Elliston-Lafayette Elementary Schoolby CNBPrincipal Denise Boyle with November's penny champs, Pat Schooler's
fourth-graders.