Shelton named Elkhorn Principal

Shelton named Elkhorn Principal
Posted on 02/11/2020

It is interesting how my life as an educator has brought me to the Excelsior Springs School District. I am so excited to join the Tiger family and to serve as the next principal of Elkhorn Elementary! 

My name is Annette Shelton and I have lived in the Kansas City area my entire life and graduated from St. Pius X High School in 1990.  In 1993, while working to earn my elementary teaching degree, I was introduced to my husband, Jimmy. As luck would have it, his aunt was a 1st grade teacher at Elkhorn.  I was fortunate to spend time in her classroom observing and learning from some other amazing teachers. It seems surreal that I now have the opportunity to return to, and work with, the teachers at Elkhorn Elementary all these years later. 

I graduated with my degree in Elementary Education from William Jewell College in December of 1994 and was immediately offered a 5th grade teaching position in the North Kansas City School District. During the next six and a half years I taught both 2nd and 5th grades. During this time I earned my Masters degree in Elementary Education. In 2001, my husband really wanted to move out of the city and closer to his hometown. We purchased land, built a house, and moved to Excelsior Springs with our two daughters, Mary-Kate and Emilee.  I was offered a teaching position with the Kearney School District. For the next 19 years, I was given many different teaching and leadership opportunities. For six years I taught 3rd grade, 5th grade, and computers at various elementary buildings. In December of 2006, I completed my Specialist in Educational Leadership from William Woods University. In the summer of 2007, I was hired as the principal for Holt Elementary. I became the assistant principal for Kearney Middle School in 2008 and stayed in that position for nine years. For the past three years I have had the honor of serving as the principal of Hawthorne Elementary. These experiences have shaped me to become the leader I am today.

Education is the number one gift we can give children. I believe it is our job to make sure it is one that is meaningful and memorable. I look forward to working with the hardworking students, the dedicated teachers, and the supportive parents of Elkhorn Elementary.