Ms. Sue Appleby has taken the helm as the middle school’s new principal.

Prior to arriving at Stratford, Appleby was the middle school principal at Stuart Hall School, an Episcopal day and boarding school in Staunton, Virginia.

Appleby replaced Mr. Andrew Myler, who departed Stratford to take over as head of school at St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School in Kansas City, Missouri.

“One of the things I want us all to focus on is community,” Appleby said, adding that the middle school has started doing assemblies led by students and having assigned seating at lunch two days a week in order for students to get to know one another.

“The teachers and I are going to work on the schedule and see if it can be tweaked,” she said.

Appleby said that she has enjoyed the transition to Stratford, saying that everyone who she has met is “very friendly” and that the school is “very big, a lovely campus.”

Appleby said she also has enjoyed Macon.

“It’s a bigger town [than Staunton], but it feels like a smaller town,” Appleby said.

Appleby said that some of her favorite new restaurants are the Backburner, Ingleside Village Pizza, Bonefish Grill, Tokyo Alley, and the Tik-Tok Room.  She even has a mobile list of restaurants to try.  She said she also enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, spending time with her cats, and traveling.

Sixth grade students — themselves new to middle school — had nothing but good things to say about her.

“She seemed really nice and like the kind of person who would welcome you,” one student said.

Another added that she’s “energetic, open, and I think she acts like a mother.”

Middle School Dean of Students Mr. Ian Hayley also said he is enjoying working with his new colleague.

“It’s always fun working with new people,” Hayley said.