*Principal's Corner
Mary Gilbert, Ed.S.
Principal
Welcome to Robert E. Lee Elementary School! This is my 39th year as an educator, and 32 years have been at REL. I am truly honored to serve as the principal at REL. I have been a music teacher, reading teacher, and school counselor through the years. Many of my former students are now REL parents. WOW! What a wonderful blessing! This is an exciting time for me and my journey as a passionate educator. I am humbled by God’s plan for me to serve at REL and in TCS!
My husband Warren and I have three daughters. Jenny is a speech pathologist and is married to Cain Reed. They have two precious sons, Owen and Jack, who call us “Gigi” and “Papa.” Emily is an engineer and is married to Jim Blue. They are the proud parents of our newest little one, James. Anna, our youngest, is an occupational therapist at Johns Hopkins. We love to spend time with our family having fun by the pool. We are big UT fans, as all of us are graduates of The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. GO VOLS!
Five years ago, I heard a convocation speech by Dalton Sherman in 2008 when he was a fifth-grade student, which has been inspirational for me as an educator. Dalton so eloquently shared- “...I can do anything, be anything, create anything, dream anything, become anything - because you believe in me. And it rubs off on me.”
We believe in our students, staff, and community! I look forward to working with you and your child this year as we provide innovative and challenging social, emotional, and academic experiences for all children to succeed today and in the future. We want to ensure a safe and healthy learning culture promoting positive relationships for all children. Let’s continue “CHALLENGING STUDENTS TODAY FOR A LIMITLESS TOMORROW.”
“ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE. TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH.”
-Helen Keller
Please feel free to contact me at 931-454-2637, if you have a concern or need.