My name is Keri Smith. It is an honor to be able to serve both the East Hall Community and the North Hall Community as principal at Sandra Dunagan Deal Elementary School beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.

I was born and raised in Gainesville and was fortunate to have attended the Hall County Schools for all of my elementary, middle, and high school education. Both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Early Childhood Education were completed at Brenau University.  Following that, my degree in Educational Leadership was earned from Valdosta State University.

This is my twenty-first year working as an educator for the Hall County School District.  During my career, I had the opportunity to work as a classroom teacher at Lula Elementary, Riverbend Elementary, and World Language Academy.  At Spout Springs Elementary and Lyman Hall Elementary I served their school communities as an Instructional Coach.  While my educational career primarily consists of elementary education, I was grateful to have the opportunity to teach an Early Childhood Education class at Lanier College and Career Academy, serve as an adjunct professor at University of North Georgia, and then begin my career as a school administrator as an assistant principal at North Hall Middle School before being named as the principal at Riverbend Elementary.  This experience provided me the valuable opportunity to see students after they leave the elementary level and how vital our role is in early childhood education to the success of students at the secondary level.

As an educator, I believe the following:

•  Every child should have the opportunity to explore and thrive during their elementary school years.
• Promoting literacy and numeracy at an early age creates a foundation for success.
• Students deserve to have effective teachers that foster foundational skills.
• A hands-on approach to teaching and learning is the best way to help teachers and students reach their highest potential in the classroom.
• Partnering with families in their child’s education will ensure that students are more successful. By sharing this experience with our families and community, we are taking care of our greatest resource, children.

Family is very important to me.  I am the mom/stepmom of five children and also enjoy being a grandmother. Spending quality time with my family brings me joy. It makes my heart happy to cook for my family and to have all of us around the table together. My husband and I have been married for over twenty years and we love visiting the beach and spending time with our family.

I look forward to meeting all of the students, families, faculty and staff that will make Sandra Dunagan Deal Elementary School a place where we can be a school family. Go Tigers!