Principal Message

Hello, Ellison Park Elementary Families. 

My name is David Pendergast and I’m excited to come to Ellison Park to serve as your principal. This is my fourteenth year as an elementary principal in the Davis District. Previous to my new assignment here I’ve had the privilege of serving the communities of Tolman, West Point and Vae View Elementary schools. Before coming to the elementary schools, I worked in the junior high schools as a Special Education Teacher and Assistant Principal.

Education is “the family business” (say that with my New York accent, yes, I was born and raised in Syracuse, New York). Both of my parents are retired teachers from the Syracuse City School District. My wife (of 28 years) is starting her first year as Principal of Layton Elementary and our oldest son will begin his teaching career this fall as an English teacher at Layton High. He will also serve as the schools first boys lacrosse coach. A sport a grew up playing back in central New York. Our only daughter works at Kays Creek Elementary and our youngest son is a pat time custodian in the Weber School District. Our second oldest son is a baker and has thoughts of coming to education. We also have many teachers extending to grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

I love spending time with my family. In addition to the original four children we have added two daughters in laws and this September, our second granddaughter.  Together we enjoy smashing burgers and smoking meat, eating, golfing, playing games and hiking.

I bring to Ellison Park a love of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics). Your amazing teachers and I will do our best to continue focusing on these areas this year. We will have to limit some of the things we do, like a school play, based on health conditions and Covid19. Over the next three years our teachers will undergo professional development partnership in the area of mathematics with the Davis District and Brigham Young University’s teaching department. I’m very excited to see this training happening here at Ellison Park.  

In 2019 I was humbled and honored to be awarded the District and State Principal of the Year Award. I was honored to represent Vae View Elementary, the Davis School District, and the great State of Utah in Washington D.C. last fall with the other state award recipients at the National Distinguished Principal award ceremony. I was able to network with amazing leaders from across the country in a way I never could imagine.

I can’t wait to meet everyone as we begin our new school year. If you have any questions, my door is always open.

 

Sincerely,

Mr. Pendergast