Principal Robert Horn went into education to leave the same impression on his students that his teachers left on him, but what was his first impression of us?

“There is so much to like. The students have been great, really friendly and outgoing. The teachers have been outstanding, very receptive… There are so many positive things I can say; I do not know where to start,” Horn said.

Another reason Horn went into education was because he wanted variety within his career.

“He [Horn’s father] worked at General Motors… When I went down there, you could see guys or women who worked on the line, and every day, they did the same thing. You see my point? I wanted a profession where I could branch into different things as a variety in thirty years,” Horn said.

Horn believes the students keep Etowah running.

“My job is to guide the ship. I am not the ship… I am not what makes it go. That is about you guys- the students and the parents- it is not about me,” Horn said.

The changes that Horn made to Etowah, such as Cross Campus Release and the one earbud system, were made for a few reasons. His top two priorities for students are safety and education. He thinks that having only one earbud in will keep students safe, especially when crossing the cross walk. He also wants to prepare students for college and jobs, and says the specific tardy time limits help with that. Horn also saw the individual problems at Etowah and made changes accordingly.

“Cross-Campus Release to me just made sense. I think people need more specific guidelines. We as adults need it. I know you students need it.  Last year when the bell rang, I felt that I did not know when I was supposed to be there.”

Horn’s first job as principal has taken his career to the next level, and pushed him to make some changes to Etowah.