Greetings, Owl Families!!

I am so excited to now be serving as the new Principal of Southern Oak Elementary!! It is very apparent what a wonderful school we have, and I feel so fortunate to have been given this opportunity!  This is my 10^th year as a principal, and 7^th year in this role with Pinellas County Schools (I have served as Principal of Sandy Lane ES and Oldsmar ES  before transferring here). Before relocating to Florida with my family in 2016, I previously spent 14 years as an educator in North Carolina as Principal (2013-2016), Assistant Principal (2009-2013) and ESE Teacher (2002-2007).  I also had the fortune of completing the 2-year North Carolina Principal Fellows program (2007-2009), which allowed me a unique opportunity to earn my Masters of School Administration degree from UNC Greensboro while working for a 1-year as a full-time Principal Intern.  Aside from that experience, I also have a BA in Psychology from UNC Chapel Hill and a Doctorate of Educational Leadership (EdD) from UNC Greensboro. 

As you can tell, I strongly believe in the value of education, and I will work hard for our students and staff at Southern Oak to ensure all students have a positive experience in school and achieve their greatest learning outcomes!!  Please know that I am here to serve our school community and I encourage you to reach out to me with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have about your child and/or ways we can continually improve our school.  Through open and ongoing communication between school and our families, we can help our students accomplish more and achieve their goals for success!! Please also keep an ear out for my weekly school messenger phone calls (and emails) which will start soon.  On that note, we will need your best contact phone #’s and email address. So, please be sure to complete and return your child(ren)’s updated Clinic Card (i.e., yellow card) as soon as possible.

We are all looking forward to a safe and exciting start of school!! I look forward to meeting you soon! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Jeff Moss, Southern Oak Principal

Hello!

I am so excited to be your assistant principal! I have been in education for 24 years and 20 of those years have been spent here at Southern Oak. My two daughters are also SOE alumni! My oldest, Madison, is 20 years old and in college at SPC and Cassidy, my baby, is 18 and a senior at Seminole High. They are my pride and joy and if you have several minutes to spare, ask me to tell you all about them.

I am a product of Pinellas County Schools myself, having attended Cross Bayou and Pinellas Central Elementaries, Morgan Fitzgerald Middle and Pinellas Park High School. I went to the University of South Florida and earned my B.S. degree in Elementary Education and then attended Saint Leo University to obtain my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. I am passionate about education, and I try to model a positive attitude even when things get tough.

If you see me around the campus, please say hello and let me know if you have any suggestions or concerns, because we are always striving to improve our practices. Thank you for trusting us with your child’s education; it is a privilege that I don’t take lightly.

Sincerely,

Brandie Jessie,

Southern Oak Assistant Principal