![\"Ball\"](\"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Ball.jpg\")
<\/a>Though the principal, Ball is ever the teacher.<\/p>\nA history enthusiast, Ball works with the first-grade each year to review history, with Ball dressed in full colonial attire, including an etiquette lesson straight from the George Washington’s Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior.<\/p>\n
His lesson always includes the proper way to bow and curtsy. It\u2019s a lesson students take to heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can hardly walk into a first-grade class without that happening,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n
Ball himself will be taking his own final bow at the end of this school year.\u00a0 After 45 years (48 years total in education) with the school division, he is retiring.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of bittersweet,\u201d Ball said.<\/p>\n
Understandably so.<\/p>\n
With all his work throughout the past five decades, his passion for children\u2019s education has not dimmed. He began his career teaching in Norfolk Academy, but left for Virginia Beach in 1969, where he taught at Brookwood Elementary, and then Holland Elementary before beginning a career in administration.<\/p>\n
Ball has been principal at Windsor Woods for 25 years now. He has personally hired every member of his faculty, with the exception of two people.\u00a0 At school functions, he sees former students who are now moms and dads of current students.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s exciting talking about Windsor Woods,\u201d Ball said. \u201cThe kids are so fresh. They are filled with questions and eager to learn. It\u2019s exciting being around kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ball channels his excitement into creating the firmest foundation he can for his students\u2019 future success. For example, Windsor Woods has created a program where fifth-grade students go on field trips to the high schools they will be one day attending.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy job is to set their sights higher,\u201d Ball said. \u201cThey are visiting their future. I make a big deal (and tell them) \u2018This is your future.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
They meet with student leaders, they talk to the principal and they even attend class.<\/p>\n
Ball told the story of one little girl who had sat in an advanced math class with high school students. The teacher went over complex problems with the\u00a0child and some other of her classmates in attendance. Ball watched as she came back to the bus with a concentrated look on her face.<\/p>\n
“What\u2019s wrong?,” Ball asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, in that math class?,\u201d the little girl said, \u201cI almost got it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t that great?\u201d Ball said with a beaming smile.<\/p>\n
Looking back over this career, Ball said he has been impressed with the technological advances made in the classroom, the assessments given to track student improvement as well as the amount of professional development opportunities the division provides.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings are a lot better than they used to be,\u201d Ball said. \u201cIf I had the resources teachers have now, how better of a teacher I would be\u2026so many possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though, those who know him do not know how he could be better.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe Drummond is replaceable,\u201d Shirann Lewis, assistant superintendent of Elementary Schools said. \u201cHe is part of the culture and fabric of the elementary principals in Virginia Beach City Public Schools\u2026his spirit will be greatly missed.\u201d<\/p>\n
For his part, Ball said he will miss working with the children each day, but he knows they are in capable hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have anybody here whose main purpose is earning money,\u201d he said. \u201cThey love children and they make a huge difference. It\u2019s just a loving faculty and the parents are the same way. It\u2019s a great place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Q&A<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n What was the last book you read?<\/strong> What was the last movie you saw?<\/strong> What is your favorite snack?<\/strong> What is your favorite time in history ?<\/strong> What\u2019s your favorite piece of advice to give to students?<\/strong> Walking through the hallways of Windsor Woods Elementary School, two little girls see principal Drummond Ball approaching them, causing them to pause. As he draws nearer, the girls, in unison, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2070"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2070\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2121,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2070\/revisions\/2121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nI\u2019m reading Biblical Archaeological Magazine\u2026that reads like a book.<\/p>\n
\nNoah.<\/p>\n
\nI like Fritos, and I like kettle corn. I like these little English caramels and in the middle there is chocolate.\u00a0 Heath bars. And, there\u2019s a drink (in England) called Ribena, and it’s a black currant soft drink.<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s got to be the 18th<\/sup> century<\/p>\n
\nThe golden rule:\u00a0 Do unto others that you would have others do unto you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"