By Kelly Graeber

Oxford School District Public Relations

New Bramlett Elementary School Principal Keri Jo Finnie, the former assistant principal at BES, says she is ready to go to work for Oxford’s youngest students.

“I’m ready to team up with the excellent teachers who are laying a strong foundation for the youngest students in our school district,” said Finnie, who begins her new Oxford School District administrative position at the start of the 2017-2018 school year.

Finnie succeeds Suzanne Ryals, who is the district’s new Director of Early Childhood and Reading Development for the Lafayette-Oxford-University community.

She has worked in the district for 14 years as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher, intervention coordinator, and, for the last two years as BES assistant principal.

She has a passion for early childhood education and for strengthening the teaching profession, as well as a strong desire to maximize learning opportunity for all students.

“Mrs. Finnie’s experience with the age of children at Bramlett made her the ideal choice,” said OSD Superintendent Brian Harvey. “She is passionate about helping her students and teachers succeed.”

After graduating from Oxford High School in 1999, she earned a bachelor of arts in early childhood education at Harding University.

She went on to receive a master’s degree in educational leadership from The University of Mississippi, where she received the Andrew P. “Ike” Mullins Award in Educational Leadership.

Honors she received in the Oxford School District include the OSD Outstanding First Year Teacher of the Year Award and the Bramlett Elementary School Teacher of the Year Award.

She also has experience in programs such as Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) Literacy Training and is a certified academic language therapist.

Finnie said she is excited to be part of the administrative team at Bramlett.

“It is a blessing to be able to work in the same building where I went to school as a young child and to give back to the community I love,” Finnie said.