Walking through the hallways of Greenbelt Middle School one may notice that the school bell heard around campus sounds a little different this year. The bell, which used to sound like an alarm, is now a softer tone, meant to create a warmer environment for students and teachers.
Carlos Pugh, the parent engagement assistant, has noticed that the bell has not only changed a big part of the school’s environment, but also reflects the person who created it, the new Principal, Camille Butler.
“It’s subtle and softer, but it gets the message across, just like her,” Pugh said.
From changes to the bell, to speaking positive words of encouragement over the announcements at the end of each school day and checking in on teachers
throughout the day, Butler has begun to add her own touch around the school.
Butler first started at the school in 2017 as a reading teacher. Eventually she became the department chair, then the instructional lead teacher for reading and social studies and then the assistant principal working alongside former Principal Marcellus Clement who led the school for five years. This August, after a series of interviews following Clement’s resignation in July, she became the school’s principal.
“It has been like watching someone simply fulfill their destiny,” Pugh said. “She was born to lead Greenbelt Middle School.”
Pugh began as a science and health teacher 13 years ago and for the past seven years he has been the “parent arm” to the principal. He first met Butler when her son was a student in one of his classes and he eventually got to know her more while working alongside her through the years. Pugh said he has seen firsthand the uniqueness that Butler brings to this job.
Having watched the way Butler interacts with the school community on a daily basis, Pugh has noticed her ability to talk to parents in an empathetic manner that immediately disarms them because they realize they’re talking to someone who’s been in their shoes.
“Her love for this community is so authentic and pure that she brings a caring to this position that virtually no one else can bring,” Pugh said.
For Butler, the road to principal has been a gradual journey and for a while she didn’t think she would ever want the job. As she began to work alongside Clement and with neighboring schools and mentors in the district, she began to see the impact she could have as assistant principal and glimpsed the possibility of someday leading a school, with support, she said. “It’s not something you do alone. I’m not standing by myself, but I’m on the shoulders of everyone else that has helped me in this position,” Butler said.
“I’m still pinching myself because although I was in the principal pool, I didn’t know that this position would become available at the time,” Butler said. “I really care a lot about the community,” said Butler, who told the News Review she has been part of the community long before she started working at the school almost a decade ago. She also raised her children in the area. “They’ve been in summer camps in Greenbelt,” she noted. “There’s just been a lot of things where I have been supported by the community.” Butler’s husband has worked for the City of Greenbelt for almost 30 years. “It’s just a dream come true, like a perfect situation,” she says of becoming principal at Greenbelt Middle.
Just like Pugh, Creative Arts Department Chair and Family Consumer Science Teacher Joan Hynes has watched Butler grow to where she is today. She said that it gives her and other teachers hope that they too can achieve their goals.
“She has been in the trenches with us,” Hynes said. “She knows what it’s like to be a teacher, she knows what it’s like to be an assistant principal, so she’s able to meet the students where they are.”
Hynes has noticed Butler’s ability to support teachers and regularly recognize them whether it’s through small gestures or praising them for their hard work.
Hynes said that she has always been amazed by Butler’s attitude and that even though she may be under pressure or in a difficult situation, she is always able to keep calm and smile. Hynes said that Butler also has a way of reminding her and other faculty members what to do without making them feel incompetent or like they are doing something wrong.
“One thing I have learned from Ms. Butler is that even the most difficult conversations can be handled with calmness, grace and a smile,” Hynes said. “I’ve realized that it’s not always about what you say, but how you say it. When you approach conversations this way, your message is often better received.”
As Butler has begun to settle in and find support from her colleagues, she has created new goals for this school year. The theme this year is “journey to excellence,” and Butler said that the school has a very strong focus on math, supporting students with learning disabilities, multilingual students and addressing chronic absenteeism.
“The biggest thing is just knowing that parents are a part of it,” she said. “We want them here, we want them to be a part of the process, and it can’t be done without them.”
Butler called the school “a little New York City” because of how much it has to offer for students. The school has an array of different programs including the Talented and Gifted program, the English language department and a growing performing arts department.
She is hoping to see improvements in the school culture, which she said is very strong but can always grow. She recently helped create a Parent Teacher Student Association to encourage more student involvement around the school and bring more student voices to the table. While the school has had a PTA in the past, this year they added the student voice.
Outside of work, Butler said she loves nature and regularly walks at Buddy Attick Park. She has recently had the idea of inviting parents to come walk and talk with her at the park about any issues or topics they want to discuss.
She also loves spending time with her family and enjoys having her nieces and nephews over to have game nights and catch up. She is also a big fan of comedy and she and her husband try to get out to see a comedy show every once in a while.
Butler acknowledged the fact that she is still learning in this new role and doesn’t want to say the transition has been seamless. However, she is grateful for how smooth it has been and for the support that she has received from the community.
“The connection and the bond that she has with this community and the love that she brings to her job is just wonderful to see, and she’s just getting started,” Pugh said.
Lillian Gray is a University of Maryland student at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism writing for the Greenbelt News Review.
