Administration
DIANE CHILDRESS
PRINCIPAL
My family and I live in Nags Head, where we've been for twenty-three years. Originally from Evanston, Illinois, I attended college at The College of Wooster in Ohio, graduating with a degree in Psychology and Education. I am a lifelong learner and enjoy being a student. I received my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in 1997, my National Boards in 2000 (renewed in 2010 and 2020) and my Masters of School Administration in 2013 from ECU.
I taught elementary school for 24 years before moving into school leadership in 2016 where I had the privilege of being an assistant principal at FFHS and MMS before transferring to FFMS in 2018.
As I enter my 3rd year as principal, I'm thrilled to continue to work alongside a dedicated staff who are committed to building relationships, creating a positive and safe learning environment and teaching the whole child.
My philosophy is pretty simple: I believe in doing what's best for our students, learning from mistakes and leading by example.
ROBERT
TRIPP
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
I am so excited to be a part of the Seahawk family!
I grew up beside a strawberry farm in Virginia Beach, and prior to entering the education field was a Specialist in the U.S. Army Airborne, stationed at Ft. Bragg. I attended Liberty University, and am currently enrolled in a doctoral program. I have spent the last ten years as a middle school teacher and administrator, most recently at Blair Middle in Norfolk. I live in Chesapeake with my wife and daughter.
I enjoy what I do, and will continue to do it for years to come!
KASSIE MOUNT
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Having grown up in Dare County, I am deeply honored by the opportunity to invest in our community by serving the students, parents, and teachers of First Flight Middle School as an Assistant Principal!
This year marks my thirteenth year in education, twelve of which were devoted to teaching English Language Arts in the high school classroom. After graduating from Southeastern University with a B.S. in Secondary English Education, I began my teaching career at Ridge Community High School in Davenport, Florida. In 2011, my husband and I moved back home to Dare County to raise our family and work with the young people of this community as educators.
From 2011-2021, I had the rewarding experience of teaching at Manteo High School, where I served as Learning Leader of the English Department, Junior Class Sponsor, teacher mentor, and SIT Chair. In 2021, I earned a M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from Liberty University. Now, as an administrator at First Flight Middle School, I am looking forward to working with the Seahawk team to help our students discover the joy of learning and grow into world-changing leaders!
My husband Joel is an English teacher at First Flight High School. We have two young children and are thrilled to be a part of the First Flight family!