Hi Grange Hall Families,

I am thrilled to be a Bulldog and serve as the proud principal of Grange Hall!

I graduated from Lynchburg College in 1999 with a B.A. in Elementary Education. My career in education began over 23 years ago with fifteen years of experience teaching in second, fourth and fifth grades, in Fredericksburg City, Prince William County and Hanover County. During my tenure as a classroom and gifted resource teacher, I earned my M.Ed. in school counseling from Central Michigan University and post-master’s degree in administration and supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University. My journey led me to Chesterfield County where I’ve had the honor of leading the Grange Hall community as principal for the past seven years.

I am a native of Dartmouth, Massachusetts and currently reside in Chesterfield with my husband, Greg, son, Ian, and daughter, Ainsleigh. We have an Australian Shepard (Bailey), a German Shepard mix (Jax), and a Thoroughbred/Welsh pony (Frankie). I spend most of my free time with my family watching Ian play baseball, Ainsleigh riding horses, playing field hockey and track. 

I am a very passionate educator that truly believes that ALL students can succeed through the development of a safe, engaging learning environment. As lead learner of GHES, it is my mission to help create a school where students, teachers and families are beating down the doors to get in each day instead of out. I look forward to working with our parents, students, and staff to celebrate our past and embrace the future of our community of learners as we celebrate 100 years of Grange Hall! 

courtney_jones@ccpsnet.net

"Hello Grange Hall Community! I am so excited to be at Grange Hall as your Assistant Principal again for the 2024-2025 school year. Having grown up in Chesterfield County, I have a deep affection for the people and communities we serve, and am eager to continue to work with you all!

I started my education journey at the University of Richmond for my Undergraduate degree, earning my Bachelors in Psychology and Elementary Education.  I returned to UofR to pursue Masters Degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership. Go Spiders!

I’ve had the privilege of working in Chesterfield County as a classroom teacher for 9 years and administrator for the last 8 years. While teaching and leading, I worked with students of various needs in elementary schools. I believe that all students are capable of success when given the right opportunities. My goal is to foster an engaging learning environment where students develop positive social skills, are comfortable taking academic risks, and celebrate their accomplishments in and out of the classroom. All of our Grange Hall students deserve to experience the power of feeling successful!

I absolutely love building relationships with students, families and staff and truly feel like everyone’s human stories bring so much to their experiences in schools. My time outside of school is spent with my husband, Rob and our two kiddos, Olivia and Griffin.  We love to get outside and enjoy all that Richmond has to offer while creating family memories. Family is so very important to me, and I absolutely love being a wife and mother. What a beautiful blessing children are!

I look forward to serving the Grange Hall community and partnering with you all to help our students grow. Please don’t hesitate to contact me should you need anything at all!

emily_mccracken@ccpsnet.net