Kerri-Lynn Andrew moves to the administrative dean position at Buffalo Ridge Elementary this year. This is Andrew’s seventh year at BRE and 12th year in education. She has been a reading interventionist and first and fifth grade classroom teacher at BRE.

Kerri-Lynn Andrew started at Buffalo Ridge Elementary (BRE) in 2016 as a long-term kindergarten substitute. This year she moves into the main office and role of administrative dean.

Andrew filled many roles at BRE during the intervening years. During the second semester of the 2016-2017 school year, Andrew was a half-day kindergarten teacher at Northridge Elementary School in Highlands Ranch and the interim reading interventionist at BRE in the afternoon. The following year she became a full-time first grade teacher at BRE, and three years later, she moved to a fifth grade classroom.

In her new position, Andrew’s role shifts from daily classroom instruction to school-wide programs. “As the administrative dean, my role includes response to student behaviors, state assessment coordinator, professional development planning and implementation, instructional coaching, and safety drill facilitator,” she said. “Bigger picture, I will continue building strong social, emotional, and academic programming that meets the needs of all students at Buffalo Ridge.” In addition, she said she will foster Positive Behavior Interventions and Support, which is a proactive approach to improve school safety and promote positive behaviors.

With her 12 years in education, Andrew has experience in many areas which qualified her for the administrative position. “The move to fifth grade gave me a chance to broaden my scope as an educator, which I had always imagined doing as part of my long-term career goals,” she said. The step into an administrative role this year, combined with her continuing education, means her career will continue to expand. Andrew is currently earning her master’s in educational leadership at CU Denver.

A native of Bristol, Rhode Island, Andrew earned a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and a major in Spanish from Rhode Island College. She also did a semester abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Andrew and her husband, Brett, recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary and have three children: Rylee a senior and Brady a freshman at RCHS, and Bryce in seventh grade at Rocky Heights Middle School.

Brett was a commissioned Army officer, so the Andrew family had the opportunity to live and work in many different communities, including Kentucky, Kansas and here in Colorado.

“I love the relationships that are built by living and working in the same community,” added Andrew. “Castle Pines reminds me of my roots in Bristol, a smaller town where people know each other and are there to help each other.”

Andrew is looking forward to “building strong relationships with all students and staff at BRE and continuing to create strong systems that support the whole child.” She said, “Establishing pathways for each and every student to feel valued and successful is at the core of what I set out to do each day.”

By Celeste McNeil; photo courtesy of Kerri-Lynn Andrew