April 7, 2003
Valdosta - Students at J.L. Newbern remember Principal Fred Davis standing in the halls, directing traffic. But they haven't heard his orders in over three weeks now, since he left his daily duties and headed to Ft. Stewart.
"I miss hearing him tell us to stand in line, and giving the daily announcements on the intercom," said Derrick Yarbrough, Student.
Both students and faculty have made major adjustments because of Mr. Davis's absence. Assistant Principal Artrice Haugabrook is now leading the school, and says she never realized how hard her boss worked. "I've had to learn how to manage time," said Haugabrook. "I think it's important to be out there interacting with the students, but also doing all Principal Davis's paperwork."
Students and faculty have hung yellow ribbons throughout the school in honor of Mr. Davis and all the troops defending our country. An American flag also hangs in the cafeteria, with Mr. Davis's name at the top. The red and white stripes are filled with names of people who have been deployed. Many of the students say patriotic symbols like this help them understand why Mr. Davis had to leave.
"I think he's really brave to do what he's doing, because if they had asked me, I probably wouldn't have wanted to leave my family and job like he did," said Yarbrough.
Mr. Davis is still stationed at Ft. Stewart, awaiting orders on whether he'll be sent back home, or to the Middle East.
posted at 3:45 by ashley.harper@walb.com
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