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Administration

Meet our Administrators

Mr. Vernon Sava, Principal

EXPERIENCE:
This is Mr. Sava’s 8th year serving as the Principal of Dutch Fork Middle School and his 12th year as a school administrator.  Prior to serving as an administrator, Mr. Sava taught at St. Andrews Middle School in Richland One for two years, and Dutch Fork Middle School for six years.  Shortly after being named the 2012-2013 Dutch Fork Middle School Teacher of the Year,  Mr. Sava was promoted to an Assistant Principal at Dutch Fork Middle and then later transferred to Irmo Middle School.  Mr. Sava credits the accomplishments of Dutch Fork Middle School to the long history of professionals that work or have worked at Dutch Fork, along with the amazing students, and supportive parents and community.   

EDUCATION:

  • University of South Carolina, Bachelor of Arts, Geography (2003)
  • University of South Carolina, Master of Teaching, Secondary Education (2004)
  • Capella University, Master of Science in Education, Leadership in Educational Administration (2009)

INTERESTS:
Mr. Sava enjoys spending time with his wife, Michelle, and his three children, Allison, Kaylee, and Blake, as well as his grandson, Knox.  When time permits, Mr. Sava enjoys reading, doing yard work, bowling, and binge-watching Netflix.

 

Mr. David Sunday, API

EXPERIENCE:
This is Mr. Sunday's 19th year in education. His first year in School District Five, he served as an 8th-grade ELA teacher at DFMS. Previously, Mr. Sunday was an educator in Wyoming for 13 years. During his first 19 years of education, Mr. Sunday has served as a teacher, athletic director, assistant principal, and head principal. He has taught in Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and South Carolina. He brings a variety of perspectives and expertise to DFMS as the new Assistant Principal of Instruction.

EDUCATION:

  • Montana State University-Billings - Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education - 2004
  • Grand Canyon University - Masters in Education Administration - 2008

INTERESTS:
Mr. Sunday enjoys spending time with his family. He also enjoys everything outdoors, especially fly fishing. His favorite pastime is watching hockey.
 

Mrs. LuAnn Graul, Assistant Principal

EXPERIENCE:
Mrs. Graul began her career as a fourth grade teacher in Aiken County.  She then moved to School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties.  She taught 7th grade mathematics for twenty-five years.

EDUCATION:

  • University of South Carolina, Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies  (1992) 
  • University of South Carolina, Master of Education in Elementary Education (1996)
  • University of South Carolina, Master of Education in Educational Administration (2009)

INTERESTS:
Mrs. Graul and her husband have four children.  William is a student at the University of South Carolina.  Eddy is a student at Interlochen Arts Academy.  Lily and Riley are students at Dutch Fork High in the STEM program.   The Grauls have two dogs, two cats, a turtle, and a parakeet.  She enjoys reading in her spare time.

 

Mrs. Kelly Thacker, Assistant Principal

EXPERIENCE:
Mrs. Thacker has been immersed in education from an early age, growing up in a family of educators. Her career began as an elementary reading intervention teacher in West Virginia. After relocating to South Carolina, she dedicated a decade to teaching math at Irmo Middle School. For the past six years, Mrs. Thacker has excelled as the Digital Integration Specialist and Instructional Coach at DFMS, bringing her wealth of experience to support and enhance educational practices.

EDUCATION: 

  • West Virginia University, Bachelors in Multidisciplinary Studies (2004)
  • West Virginia University, Masters in Elementary Education (2004)
  • University of South Carolina, Masters in Education in Administration (2021)

INTERESTS:
Outside of school, Mrs. Thacker finds joy in spending time with her husband, Nick, and their two children, Evan and Emmalyn. They keep her busy with baseball games and dance competitions. Traveling to visit extended family is another passion of hers. In her downtime, Mrs. Thacker loves relaxing at the beach, indoor gardening, and indulging in cooking shows and Hallmark movies.

Mr. Vernon Sava

p: 803.476.4800
f: 803.476.4820
e: vlsava@lexrich5.org

  

p: 803.476.4813
f: 803.476.4820
e: dsunday@lexrich5.org

 

Mrs. LuAnn Graul

p: 803.476.4815
f: 803.476.4820
e: lgraul@lexrich5.org

 

 

p: 803.476.4814
f: 803.476.4820
e: kthacker@lexrich5.org