Meet Principal Waller 
Hello Barnard families, my name is Barb Waller, and I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the new principal of Barnard Mandarin Magnet Elementary School! I am honored to have been selected to join the Panda family, which is known for its dedication to excellence and stellar language program, but more importantly, for its dedication to children.
Over the past 13 years, I have worked as a teacher, district resource personnel, and administrator, but I consider my most important job to be that of a child advocate. And as a mom myself, I know that we all have hopes and dreams for our kids, and want them to feel loved and cared for while they are at school. I will spend a lot of time with your children, getting to know their personalities, learning styles, and interests, and I will celebrate their successes, small and large. I will encourage them every day and let them know they are valued and have a special place in our school community. I am committed to helping every child at Barnard be successful, because I had that same experience growing up, from adults at school that guided and believed in me.
A little bit about me...I am a San Diego native, and proud product of San Diego Unified schools! I attended Green Elementary, Pershing Junior High, and graduated from Patrick Henry High School. I received my Bachelor’s Degree/Teaching Credential from Chapman University, Master’s Degree/Admin Credential from SDSU (go Aztecs!), and began my teaching career in 2008 at Ross Elementary in Clairemont. I have been fortunate to work at several amazing schools in our district, and spent a year with the Family Engagement Department, functioning as a Resource Teacher for Area 2 school sites. My experience has also taken me to Riverview Mandarin/Spanish Immersion Elementary in the Lakeside Union School District, and before being appointed as the Barnard principal, I served as the Shared Vice Principal for Longfellow Spanish Immersion and Ericson Elementary.
When I’m not at school, I enjoy spending time with my husband, Jim, and our daughter, Sierra, who recently graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Film! I LOVE all things Disney, reading great books, starfish, a good cup of coffee, taking interesting and meaningful photos, humorous shows, animals of all types (especially meerkats), road trips, and all types of music!
Most importantly, I am a big believer in fostering leadership in all of our stakeholders-students, staff, and parents, because we all have something positive to contribute to our community, and the world around us. In addition, I want to share that I am passionate about helping families engage in their students’ learning, however that looks for their circumstances and abilities.
I’m excited to be a part of the Barnard experience, and can’t wait to see what adventures this next school year brings!
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions!
Kindly,
Barb Waller-Principal