Denise Pigatt

We welcome Mrs. Denise Pigatt as our new Principal. In a recent interview with Mrs. Pigatt, we learned a lot about her.

Mrs. Pigatt was born in Atlanta. She grew up in Meriwether County and lived near Luthersville and Grantville.

She attended college at the University of Georgia. Some influential people convinced her that she should be a lawyer. She majored in Political Science and looked forward to law school. During her senior year she decided to go back to her first love - education. She graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Later she obtained her Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of West Georgia.

When asked why she became a teacher, Mrs. Pigatt talked about her 2nd Grade teacher, Miss Kelly. She said, "Miss Kelly was so sweet. I knew then that I wanted to teach. ... I was born for this. It's my calling."

Mrs. Pigatt began her teaching career in 1990 at Elm Street Elementary School teaching third grade students. The next year her principal asked her to move up with her students to the fourth grade.

In 1993, she helped to open up the new Jefferson Parkway Elementary School. She taught third and fourth grades until she moved to Newnan Crossing Elementary School. Mrs. Pigatt became Assistant Principal at Newnan Crossing Elementary School in 2004. In 2006 she took over as Assistant Principal here at Western Elementary School when Mrs. Rita Melville retired. In 2008, when Dr. Mike Cutchen retired, she became our Principal.

She married Dariss Pigatt in 2005. They have a beautiful baby girl, Aria. Aria was born in September 2007. When Mrs. Pigatt speaks of Aria, she says, "She is the apple of my eye."

When asked about life at Western Elementary, Mrs. Pigatt said the following:

I love what I do. I love the children. I love the faculty. I love the staff and I love the community.

I'll know; when I'm no longer passionate about what I do, it will be time to move on. I still love what I do.

Thank you, Mrs. Pigatt. We are glad you are here!