Administration

Mr. Vernon Sava, Principal

EXPERIENCE:
This is Mr. Sava’s 10th year serving as the Principal of Dutch Fork Middle School and his 15th 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 grandsons, Knox and Cash.  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 21st year in education. This is his fifth year at DFMS. Previously, Mr. Sunday was an educator in Wyoming for 13 years. During his first 21 years of education, Mr. Sunday has served as a teacher, instructional coach, athletic director, assistant principal, and head principal. He has taught in Nevada, Montana, Wyoming and now South Carolina. He brings a variety of perspectives and expertise to DFMS as the 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 everything outdoors, especially fly fishing. His favorite pastime is watching hockey.
 

Mrs. LuAnn Graul, Assistant Principal

EDUCATION:

• University of South Carolina-Bachelor of Arts in  Interdisciplinary Studies; 1992
• University of South Carolina-Master of Education; 1996
• University of South Carolina-Master of Education-Educational Administration; 2009

INTERESTS:
Outside of school, Mrs. Graul enjoys reading and hanging out with her four children. 

Mrs. Kelly Thacker, Assistant Principal

EXPERIENCE:
Ms. 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 six years, Mrs. Thacker was the Digital Integration Specialist and Instructional Coach at DFMS, bringing her wealth of experience to support and enhance educational practices before transitioning to assistant principal in 2023.

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, Ms. Thacker finds joy in spending time with her two children. They keep her busy with baseball games and dance competitions. In her downtime, Ms. Thacker loves relaxing at the beach, indoor gardening, and indulging in cooking shows and Hallmark movies.