Coco's Gator Pride Shines as School Year Approaches

For the past seven years most of Lynn Coco's time has been spent as an assistant principal at the Ramtown School helping to develop some of the township's youngest residents. Last year, due to budget cuts, Coco's duties were split between Ramtown and neighboring Greenville School.

As the new school year rapidly approaches Coco is ready for her first year at the helm of the Greenville community. Although this is her first year as principal, Coco said her work over the past few years have helped her prepare for the new position. "I've had a lot of experiences being a vice principal," she said. "I was given a lot of autonomy by my principals to try new ideas to do things and experiences of handling emergency situations when I was the only administrator in the building."

As she starts her 18th year in the district, this is Coco's third building she has worked in, starting as a teacher in the Taunton School. During her time there she was originally a first grade teacher which she describes as "just my love," before being bumped up to the fifth grade before becoming an administrator. "It was a great experience because I had primary and upper elementary," she said. 

Having been in the community for a long time and even with just a year working in the school, Coco said she is comfortable in her new position. "Certainly being part of this district for so long and knowing the Ramtown area and knowing the teachers here certainly makes a world of difference," she said. "I don't have to do what a new person does. I'm learning families but I don't have to do those beginning stages of I'm going to learn about you, you're going to learn about me. They kind of know that already."

Whether she is a teacher in the classroom or serving as an administrator, Coco said she hopes to be providing the same personality and professional traits in any position. "One thing I hear quite often is you're the same person that I knew when you were a teacher," she said. "During my appointment [to Greenville] one of the board members, Mrs. [Mary] Cerretani, said reading through my application, that throughout my answers to the questions I referred often to how I am first and foremost still a teacher and I need to continue to learn as well."

Since leaving the classroom, Coco said she has always tried to stay close to what is happening with the teachers and programs happening in the schools. "It's important that if I am leading meetings, or if I'm going to help initiate new practices or new curriculum that I'm aware of what the teachers are going to be doing," she said. That way if there are concerns or problems she will be able to effectively handle them.

One of Coco's goals as the leader of the Greenville school is continuing and expanding a tradition she credits Ramtown principal Albert Bohrer with fostering. Over the past few years Ramtown, Greenville and Middle School South have built a strong cameraderie. She hopes to see that include the students and staffs of the schools as well. "When I first started in the district we always met our grade levels district wide. We've grown and the constraints of having professional development our teachers don't get to meet with other colleagues and I think it's important they do that as well," she said. 

For those Greenville parents she may not have had the chance to meet yet, Coco said she is looking forward to meeting them and getting to know them over the course of the year. "I want them to know that anytime they have a concern that they can come to me," she said. "First and foremost I want them to be able to share that [concern] with their classroom teacher because they're with their child every single day." 

Working with the teachers, Coco said she is hopeful to be able to address most any problem that comes their way. "I want to provide you with the resources and the time to help you build a positive relationship between all the constituents," she said of working with the teachers in the building. "Our goal here is to be here for our children, to make them confident, to have them feel good about themselves and to be knowledgeable."

If the administration and teachers can work together to accomplish those goals, they can help their students prepare for their time outside of the building. "By the time they leave elementary school and as they progress through the years they have a strong foundation," she added. 

When the full contingent of Gators arrive in September, Coco said she will be proud to welcome them back for what she hopes will be another exciting and successful year. "This is a special school because it was created at a time that it was a necessity to make our schools smaller," she said. "The fact that I've been accepted so quickly means a lot to me, but it also tells me that I made every effort even with the constraints of sharing a building that I made an impact in the time I was here."

For as much time as she plans to spend in the building, Coco said she also makes sure to spend time with her family including 7-year-old son Tyler, 3-year-old son Evan and her husband Rob. "Being able to give them experiences that perhaps I didn't have as a child is important to me and having that family time going to museum and going to parks," she said.

Coco said she is sure there will be some nerves the first day, but once things get underway she said she believes they will vanish as she focuses on the tasks at hand.