About Southern Elementary
Southern Elementary School is a state-of-the-art facility that opened in August of 2001. We serve approximately 900 students in Kindergarten through fifth grade. Our school is located outside of three of New Castle County’s oldest cities, New Castle, St. Georges and Delaware City. Our students feed from the New Castle, Bear, Delaware City, St. Georges, and Middletown neighborhoods.
Southern Elementary School’s excellent and dedicated staff provides a developmentally appropriate education for each of its students. Our focus is on improving the academic achievement of all students while nurturing their social and emotional development. The academic program at Southern Elementary School provides students with a solid foundation in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The staff has had extensive training in new methods and strategies that support the district’s curricula and the state’s performance standards. They are a group of advanced degrees. Combining all of the ongoing training, schooling and experience, this staff brings the best instructional methods and strategies to our students. The Colonial School District community has outlined its vision for our schools: Students shall be empowered to meet the choices and challenges of the 21st century. At Southern Elementary, we will fulfill this mission by focusing on the development of a strong foundation of skills and attitudes that will give our children the start they need for future learning in school and lifelong learning as they take their places in broad and diverse communities.
Richard Bryson
Principal
Principal Richard Bryson is a lifelong Colonial. He graduated from William Penn High School in 1998 after attending elementary and middle school in the Colonial School District (CSD). Mr. Bryson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Delaware and a Master’s in School Leadership from Wilmington University. His teaching career spanned 10 years at Wilmington Manor, Pleasantville, and McCullough before becoming a Student Advisor at New Castle Elementary. Mr. Bryson served six years as an Assistant Principal at Southern before being promoted to his present position. “I decided to return to CSD because it is a school community that has been a big part of my family. My grandparents went to colonial schools, my parents went to colonial schools, all of my siblings went to colonial schools, my mother, father, and sister are/were employed in Colonial. The district truly feels like family to me!” Principal Bryson is married to a 2nd-grade teacher and has two children, Kyleigh and Jack along with a beloved dog named Marsh. In his spare time, he loves fishing, boating, and working out when he isn’t rooting for the Eagles, Phillies, and Notre Dame.
Kimberly Hayman
Assistant Principal
Assistant Principal Kimberly Hayman began her career in Colonial more than 20 years ago as a 1st, 4th, and 5th-grade teacher. She was a math interventionist and student advisor before being promoted to her current position. “I became interested in education because I wanted to make a difference in children’s lives. I am an advocate for what’s right and will stand on that for staff, students, and parents. I truly believe everyone has the ability to learn, you just have to know how to tap into their style of learning.” Hayman graduated from Howard University and later earned her Master’s degree from Temple University. As she interacts with students at Southern she is guided by this quote from Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” Hayman, a mother of two sons and two grandchildren, is a diehard Philly fan, no matter what the sport. She also loves to bowl and travel but especially enjoys time spent with family and friends.
Arie Dinkeloo
Assistant Principal
Assistant Principal Arie Dinkeloo loves engaging with students, staff, and families at Southern Elementary School. He began his career in education as a 7th-grade social studies teacher and later became a student advisor before being promoted to his current position. Dinkeloo graduated from the University of Delaware and earned a Master’s degree from Wilmington University. He strives to support students so they can gain emotional maturity and self-belief in order to focus on their long-term success, giving young scholars this advice, “Make easy choices, have a hard life. Make hard choices, and have an easy life.” In his spare time, Dinkeloo enjoys playing golf.