Hi, I’m Greg Townsend. I’m the principal of SILSA, the School of Inquiry and Life Sciences at Asheville. Welcome!
I hold a BA in English from the University of the South, an MAT in English from the University of North Carolina, and an Ed.S from Western Carolina University. I have been on this campus since 1984, first as an English teacher (1984-2003), then as an assistant principal (2003-2005). Past Asheville High School responsibilities have included four years as baseball and soccer assistant coach, six years as men's and women's soccer coach, and eight years as English Department chairman. 2009-10 marks my fifth year as principal of SILSA. I am very proud of our accomplishments in building and sustaining our school.
We’re a small school by design and are part of the North Carolina New Schools Project, a larger effort supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to make new high schools that work better for students. Our size enables us to build healthy, positive, supportive relationships with every student. Our students tell us that they feel valued, respected, and supported, both inside and outside the classroom. Our teachers who look at everything through a scientific lens to help our students connect what they learn to their lives and their world. We have been recognized by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and Cambridge Education for our innovative use of instructional technology. In 2008-09, we were named as an Honor School of Excellence. We look to build on these successes in the future.
We're off to a great start in the 2009-10 school year. The year opened with 183 students enrolled in grades 9-12. A diverse group, these students came from five different school systems in western North Carolina, including students who had attended public schools since kindergarten and students who entered public schools--or even formal schools!--for the first time this year. As the year opened, we were awarded over $234,000 in continuation funding for the IMPACT III grant we won in 2008. We will use these funds to move closer to our ultimate goal in instructional technology: becoming a 1:1 school, with one laptop computer for every student.
I am married to Shannon Townsend, who teaches Spanish and Ira B. Jones and Hall-Fletcher Elementary Schools in Asheville City Schools. We have two sons, William and Robert. William is a voracious reader and loves all sports, especially baseball. Robert is an imaginative practical joker and spatial/kinesthetic learner who can build almost anything with Legos his mind can envision. We have two dogs, Cocker-Beagle litter-mate brothers. Each has bonded with one of the boys, matching their personalities perfectly. Cruiser is boisterous and physical, just like William, and Thunder is more inquisitive and solitary, just like Robert.
We live in Black Mountain, but our boys proudly attend Asheville City Schools. In 2009-10, Robert is in the 7th grade at Asheville Middle School and William is a freshman in SILSA. It's truly a joy to have my son as a student in our school. And Robert has already told me that he plans to follow his big brother and join our class of 2015.
I am glad you have found our site and have an interest in our school. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about us.