Betsy Dickey at Bucktail Complex Helm

by Barbara Mastriania

FARWELL – You can almost hear Betsy Dickey saying, “I’m home mom.”

Dickey is the new principal at Renovo Elementary School (and Bucktail High School), and judging from her infectious smile, she’s more than glad to be back where she started. She said Tuesday she really does feel like she’s back home. In 1992 Dickey began her teaching career here as the Title I math class instructor.

“It is like coming home,” she said. “Some of my last class of kindergarten children are seniors at Bucktail this year. I’ve seen students graduate twice, both from kindergarten and from high school.”

In 1993 she began a nine year stretch teaching kindergarten students along with her “bestest buddy, Ann Gregory.” After she left Renovo she taught at Port Matilda, Wingate and in Keystone Central schools in Lock Haven.

She has fond memories of her years at Renovo. “I’ve seen all of the kindergarten students I taught graduate,” she said. That wasn’t always easy. One year she attended graduations in Port Matilda, Wingate and Renovo.

She’s friendly and she smiles easily and often. And students, parents and teachers say they are looking forward to the school year with her.

Her love of teaching and ease at administration follow a family path. Her grandmother, her father, aunts, uncles and cousins were or are teachers. One uncle was a school principal. And she says, she thinks her two daughters may also go into education. Her husband is a locksmith at Lock Haven University.

She’s looking forward to working with Renovo Elementary and Middle school faculty staff. “They are very nice people who are very invested in our kids,” she said. “Some of the staff has spent their entire career here. The faculty is in place and working very well.”

She’s also excited to have the opportunity to see the new Common Core program go into effect. Common Core sets higher expectations and a new set of standards for students. Dickey believes it is a good thing. “It makes our kids better thinkers and problem solvers. It sets new initiatives.”

She’s also pleased about the focus on setting higher expectations behavior wise and rewarding students for good behavior.

Her aim is to build relationships with students and parents. “I want this campus to be the heart of the community,” she said. “I always knew somehow that I’d be back here. I’m happy to return, I met some of my dearest friends here.”