Dennis Hamilton (Courtesy photo)
CLIMAX – It’s a different location for high school principal Dennis Hamilton, but the people connected to Providence Grove are plenty familiar to him.
Hamilton had administrative roles at Randleman for two decades.
“I was given an opportunity to take a new adventure at a different school,” Hamilton said.
He’s the new principal at Providence Grove after holding a similar position at Randleman.
Hamilton was principal of Randleman Middle School when the Providence Grove district was formed and so in 2008 there was a new high school in the Randolph County School System. Many of the students that had attended Randleman schools were assigned to the new district.
So in a way, Hamilton is renewing ties with many families.
“This was an opportunity for me to re-connect with that community,” he said. “I knew their parents and kept up with them. I feel very connected with this community as well.”
Hamilton replaced April Thompson, who had been Providence Grove’s principal.
Classes begin Monday.
Hamilton’s roots are deep in Randleman, where he graduated in 1988.
After time in the Army and playing football at Charleston Southern, he had numerous roles in Randolph County. He was athletics director in the late 1990s at Trinity and had a brief stint out of county on the staff at Richmond Senior.
Then it was back in Randleman numerous positions such as assistant principal at the high school, principal at the middle school and then principal at the high school.
“I know a lot of people who have gone to Randleman are over here or their kids are over here,” Hamilton said.
Now, Hamilton is going all in at Providence Grove, where he praised the quality of the student body and teachers.
“Just say we’re going to be the best school in Randolph County,” he said.
Emma Phillips is the new assistant principal at Providence Grove. Her husband is Corey Phillips, the new Randleman principal.
Corey Phillips had been assistant principal at Randleman under Hamilton.
Also, Kerri Cole is the new principal at Coleridge Elementary School.
