New Principal at Chapelwood Elementary Appreciates Community Support

When Terri Mathews accepted the position of principal this summer at Chapelwood Elementary, she knew it would feel like coming home.

“The opportunity to serve as a leader where I began my teaching career in Wayne has come full circle,” said Mrs. Mathews.

Mrs. Mathews began her career as an elementary teacher in Indianapolis Public Schools in 1991. She came to MSD Wayne in 1993 to teach second grade at Chapelwood. The next year she moved to McClelland Elementary and taught grades two, three, and five. In 2007, she became a staff developer and instructional coach for seven of MSD Wayne’s 11 elementary schools. In 2014, she began serving as assistant principal at North Wayne Elementary. She accepted the position of principal at Chapelwood over the summer.

“I live in Wayne, my children attend Wayne schools; I am Wayne! It was a natural fit to pursue the job of principal at Chapelwood in such a great school community.”

Mrs. Mathews says she loves her new position. “There are great community partnerships,” she says. “Staff, students, families, and community members are connected and care about the well-being of one another. The celebration of diversity and commitment to academic excellence is amazing.”

The greatest challenge of the new position, Mrs. Mathews says, is the fact that Chapelwood’s enrollment has grown substantially this school year. The state’s official student count day is September 13; as of September 6, Chapelwood’s enrollment was up more than 100 students from the 2018-19 school year.

Mrs. Mathews and her staff are dedicated to providing the best possible environment for all Chapelwood’s students to succeed this year. “We continue to establish and build positive relationships,” she says, “to elevate our instructional practices, and differentiate instruction to support all students.”