Laburnum Elementary School principal receives REB Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership

Nicole Henderson, principal of Henrico County’s Laburnum Elementary School, has been awarded the 2017-18 REB Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership. The Community Foundation presents the award to four principals annually – one each from the school systems of Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover counties and one from the city of Richmond.

The award recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their jobs to create an exceptional educational environment. The award stresses management and communication skills, and the ability to inspire, encourage and advocate for the school. It includes $7,500 for personal development and an additional $7,500 for school projects of the recipient’s choosing.

Henderson plans to use the bulk of her project funding to buttress Laburnum’s “Toddler Tuesday” program. The program brings about 20 toddler-age children to Laburnum twice a month to work on foundational literacy and numbers skills. Henderson wants to buy more books and materials for the program and expand it to include more children.

“What an honor it is to share this with all of you,” Henderson told staff members at a surprise gathering last week in the school’s library. “I’m so proud of you and the work you do every day. I don’t care if you’re a teacher or work in the cafeteria … it doesn’t matter what you do. We are one team – one Laburnum – and the work that you do every day is unparalleled. This is a ‘W’ for all of us.”

Henderson joined Henrico Schools in 2000 as a teacher at Arthur Ashe Elementary School, before becoming an assistant principal at Ratcliffe and Short Pump elementary schools. In 2010 she left for a three-year stint as a principal with Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland, before returning to Henrico in 2013 to become Laburnum’s principal. Originally from Richmond, Henderson is an alumna of Virginia Commonwealth University.