'Principal's principal' honored

PARK CITY — Those who know John Sheffield have nothing but nice things to say about him.

"Did you hear the oohs and aahs?" a fellow administrator asked him after Sheffield, principal of Heritage Elementary in Davis County, was named the state's Elementary School Principal of the Year this week in front of more than 225 other principals. "It was just wonderful."

But Sheffield — described by Roger Bushman, principal of Barnett Elementary School in Payson, as "the most humble and unassuming person" that he's ever met —just smiled and said, "Thank you."

"He is the principal's principal," said Luana Searle, director of the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals, which honored Sheffield Thursday during its conference in Park City. "He's innovative. He's nurturing. Everyone loves him. He's just a natural to be in leadership."

Sheffield is in his 15th year as an elementary school principal. He spent five years as principal of West Point Elementary and seven at East Layton Elementary.

He has spent the past three years organizing the new Heritage Elementary. Guiding the school from its beginning has been challenging, he said.

"I think the most difficult thing is the unity," he said of the school that sits near the border of Layton and Kaysville. "Bringing teachers from 10 different schools and also bringing in students from a number of different schools — it's a challenge creating unity."

But for Sheffield, the challenge is worthwhile.

Heritage Elementary has more than 900 students, and Sheffield said it's important that every one of them is given the opportunity to succeed.

"To do that we've got to help find individual things to help individual students," he said. "We try to set individual goals for students and try to get parents involved."

Sheffield said he tries to visit classrooms with regularity and wants "to make sure every child, every day, feels like their teacher cares about them.

"That's my No. 1 job," he said.

Sheffield, a father of six, said: "There is nothing like a public education.

"Nobody's left out. Nobody's turned away," he said. "We care about that kid, that kid and that kid. We don't want to exclude any of them because they're all members of our society. We cannot afford not to instruct them."

He said he is proud of the school's million-minute reading program, which encourages parents to read with their children for 20 minutes each day.

"It isn't unique," he said. "But it's extremely important. We've also started a program called HERO — Here Everyone Reads Often. We measure students against their own previous best and reward them."

These programs, among others, are what earned Sheffield the Davis County Principal of the Year nod, Searle said. She said each district nominates a candidate and the state winner is selected by a committee of 15 principals.

He will fly to Washington, D.C., in October to be recognized nationally for his award.

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