One Final Goodbye

As many of you know, Dr. Hedrick is leaving ODS at the end of the year. In an exclusive interview with The Rising Times, she gives one final message to the students.

Staff of The Rising Times met with Dr. Hedrick and asked her a couple of questions regarding her time here at Old Donation School. Here are her answers.

Less reminiscent of memories and more drawn to the calling of new beginnings, Dr. Hedrick mentioned her pride in the foundation of our wonderful Brickell Academy. She spoke about how we, as gifted students here at ODS, have the chance to branch out into different fields of study and how we have more opportunities to discover the arts and be creative. With opportunities in the elective departments, there are many events that go on during the school year, such as concerts, art display cases, outside projects, and more!

Dr. Hedrick's time here as principal has been a fascinating journey. Nine years ago, she was the principal of the elementary school Old Donation Center. ODC and Kemps Landing originally were two separate programs: one for elementary, the other for middle school. She helped build our academy into the wonderful thing it is today, and she has integrated our Honor Code into everyday life.

Dr. Hedrick believes that our Honor Code is something that should never change. It was created by parents, students, faculty, and alumni. It is special because it keeps us accountable to all share the same commitment, and it has become integrated into our school culture.

As our leader, she states that the opportunities for the students are her proudest accomplishment. She says that it is this opportunity that sets us apart from other schools. We offer more exploration into pathways early on that allows the students to have a chance to experience different things. To her, this is what makes Old Donation School special.

The parting message Dr. Hedrick leaves for her students is to “take care of each other.” We are one community and one body, and we all work together in order to get the same work done. When we come together, we can do greater things than when we are divided.

We thank Dr. Hedrick for everything she has done in creating our school's foundation, building a thriving gifted education program, and the beautiful memories she has given us. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors!