Creekside Primary School Principal Matt Scott was recently nominated as one of 10 principals in the state for the National Distinguished Principal Program Award.

Founded in 1984 by the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the NDP program honors outstanding principals of students in prekindergarten through eighth grade who ensure America’s children acquire a sound foundation for lifelong learning and achievement, according to the organization’s website.

Scott said he was honored by the nomination, attributing his success as a principal at Creekside over the last 15 years to his students, teachers and support staff.

“I think we all make a great team,” Scott said. “We are a school that, number one, loves students. I think we all do a great job of preparing our students for middle school and beyond.”

The NAESP describes the ideal NDP nominee as someone who is not only committed to excellence, but whose school meets the academic and social need of all students.

For Scott, making sure his school is a positive place where students feel safe and can thrive is a crucial part of his job.

“Our students look forward to coming to school and being with their teachers,” he said. “Which I think has a lot to do with why we are above the state and local level for reading.”

In addition to promoting academic excellence, an NDP nominee should also hold firm ties to parents and the community at-large, according to the NAESP.

“We open up our doors and want our parents to be here,” he said. “We have a very strong Parent Teacher Organization here at Creekside, and our parents are very active in the school. I think we get the message across to our parents that we are all in this together.”

Scott said he believes the principal is responsible for setting a positive tone at the school.

“I try to treat everyone like I want to be treated,” he said. ‘The way I talk with the teachers is how I want them to talk to one another, and how I talk to students is how the teachers are going to talk to them. You want to create that positive culture and that becomes part of who we are.”

Scott has a total of 22 years of education experience, having taught at middle school, high school and university levels. Before serving as principal at Creekside, Scott was assistant principal at Clements High School.

If selected as the state winner, Scott will be recognized at a national ceremony in Washington, D.C., next spring and will be featured on the NAESP website.