My name is Julie Babson and I am thrilled to be Principal at the Daniel Butler Elementary School. It is an honor to serve the Butler learning community and to contribute to a successful school year in every way I can. A little bit about me… I live in Ayer, MA but have also lived in New Hampshire, Delaware, Illinois, and Colombia, South America. I went to the University of New Hampshire where I received a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and an M.Ed in Elementary Education. I taught third grade in a bilingual school in Colombia, South America for two years, fifth grade in Lawrence, fifth grade at the Chenery Middle School in Belmont, and third grade right here at Butler! I have taught in Massachusetts for the past 18 years and have seen many changes in the field of education over that time, even before remote learning was a thing! 

The mission of the Belmont Public Schools is to learn, think, create, serve. I truly believe that schools function best when staff, administrators, and parents work together in a partnership. We each have unique skills, perspectives, and experiences that become exponentially powerful when combined collaboratively. Communication and reflective feedback are the keys to creating a culture of lifelong learning. This year I will strive to work with students, teachers, and families to continue making Butler a high-achieving school for all students academically, emotionally, and socially where everyone feels safe, respected, supported and successful. Students make the most significant gains when they have a highly functioning team including themselves, educators, specialists, and parents committed to working together, which is why I will work hard to build and sustain these vital teams.

As a new (and returning!) member of your school community, I am excited to support families in preparing our students at Butler for success and I look forward to meeting all members of our school and community. My office door is always open. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Respectfully,

Julie L. Babson

Based on the Book “Have You Filled a Bucket” by Carol McCloud

Each of us possesses an invisible bucket.  It is constantly being filled or emptied, depending on how positively we interact with the people around us.  When our buckets are full, we feel great. When our bucket is empty, we feel awful.

When we fill other people’s buckets - by saying or doing things that are kind, caring, helpful, or encouraging - we also fill our own bucket.  A full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. We also have the capacity to dip into other’s buckets - by saying or doing things that are hurtful, thoughtless, mean, or cruel.  When we dip into others’ buckets, we empty our own bucket as well. Sometimes our bucket feels empty when something unpleasant happens or when we forget to be kind to others.

So we face a choice every day, all day long: we can fill one another’s buckets, creating positive feelings that spread among the people we interact with during the day or we can dip from them.  It’s an important choice - one that affects our relationships, work, health, and happiness.

Choose kind. Be a bucket filler!