Alpharetta City Council Helps Honor Retiring Manning Oaks Principal

Students, formers students, teachers and staff of Manning Oaks Elementary School continued the "school day" into the night to honor retiring Principal Sharon Reinig at Alpharetta City Council Monday.

Reinig retires this year after starting her education career in 1973. She worked for many years as a special education teacher and even a director of special education in New Hampshire, Missouri and Georgia. She was a special education teacher and assistant principal at Findley Oaks Elementary School. In 1998 she came to Manning Oaks Elementary as assistant principal, being named principal in 2000.

"I kind of know what that work is like, being an educator for 30 years," said Mayor Arthur Letchas.

Working in special education takes an extra dedicated person, he said.

Fulton School Board member Katie Reeves also added her praise to Reinig.

Her honors include being recognized by the Georgia PTA as Outstanding Principal of the Year in 2005, and she led the school to the state Platinum Award in 2007, showing the greatest gains in student achievements.