Administration
Hyatt Park Elementary School
Administrative Team
Mrs. Danielle Reilly, Principal:
Hello Cougar Families!
My name is Danielle Reilly, and I am so excited to be serving as the Principal at Hyatt Park Elementary School! I am a retired Army Wife (Go Army!) and have been married to my husband, Brandon, since 2009. We have three beautiful children: Mia (15), Brandon Jr. (13), and Mason (9). While I reside in Kershaw County, I have been happily serving the children in the Hyatt Park community since 2017 where I served as an Assistant Principal at Eau Claire High School (Gooooooo Shamrocks!).
I look forward to working with children and families in the Hyatt Park Community. I believe these are some of the very best children in Columbia, and they are truly deserving of high-quality educational opportunities to help prepare them to be productive members in our highly competitive global society.
Finally, and most importantly, I am looking forward to working with YOU, the families of the students we serve, because YOU are your child's first and most important teacher. I welcome you to visit our school and learn alongside your children. This can help foster a collaborative structure where families are able to incorporate strategies at home. This will help the school achieve its mission to create a safe environment where all students are loved and continuous learning occurs daily.
Thank you, Cougar Families, for taking the journey with me to help build our children up and make them the best versions of themselves possible! I am anxiously awaiting their arrival on August 8th.
Mrs. Bridget Allison, Assistant Principal (3rd - 5th Grade):
Mrs. Allison is excited about entering her fifth year on the Hyatt Park Administrative Team.
She has 10 years of third through fifth grade teaching experience in the Atlanta Public School System. Previously, she served as a Reading Coach for five years in Richland One Schools. Currently, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from South Carolina State University and a Master of Educational Leadership from the American College of Education.
She enjoys spending time with her husband and children. She and her husband have a 20-year-old daughter who is a Sophomore at Clemson, a 7-year-old son and a 4-year-old son.
She loves learning and is an avid supporter of public education. One of her favorite quotes from Nelson Mandela says," Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." She truly believes in empowering students, teachers, and all stakeholders, to be World Changers!
Ms. Ashanda Merritt, Assistant Principal (PreK - 2nd Grade)
It is with great enthusiasm that Ms. Merritt is beginning her first year on the Hyatt Park Administrative Team.
Ms. Merritt has dedicated the last 17 years to teaching and making a difference in the lives of students in kindergarten, first, third, and second-fifth grade EIP. She has had the privilege to teach first grade in Florence School District One and Kindergarten in Beaufort County School District. In addition, she taught second through fifth grade EIP in Monroe County School District in Forsyth, GA. She was led to Richland School District One to teach Kindergarten for three years. Most recently, she taught Kindergarten and third grade in Richland School District Two, where she was named the 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year at Jackson Creek Elementary.
Her educational background includes an Education Specialist degree with a specialization in Leadership in Educational Administration from Capella University, a Master’s Degree of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Integrating Teaching through the Arts from Lesley University and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Francis Marion University.
Ms. Merritt is the proud parent of four children: Ajaliyah (23), Autumn (17), Ashton (11) and Aiden (8). She is also a dog mom to Blade (3). She enjoys being a sports mom and a cheer coach for the Greenview Eagles. In her spare time, she enjoys crafting, shopping (especially for sneakers), spending time with family and traveling.
She is elated to be a part of the Hyatt Park family! She is also thrilled to continue building relationships, helping students advance to their highest level of academic achievement, and engaging teachers in professional learning. She is committed to instilling a sense of self-worth among all students. She believes that every scholar can learn and deserves the opportunity to grow, laugh, and build upon their learning, daily.
One of her favorite quotes from B.B King is, “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” She believes that all of our scholars have a purpose and it’s our job to be committed to motivating them to their fullest potential.