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Vanderlyn Elementary

Dekalb County Schools

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Infinite Campus

Administration

Principal - Robert Clayton

Mr. Clayton
Welcome to the 24-25 school year!  We are all very excited to begin another school year with our Vikings and look forward to seeing all of our Vikings SAIL throughout the school year.  Your child will be challenged to grow not just academically, but also socially and emotionally.  Our entire staff is ready for an engaging, fun year with the students and we are all very proud to serve the Vanderlyn community.

This will be my first full year as the principal at Vanderlyn and I am beyond honored to be in this position.  I started my educational career at Hawthorne Elementary in 2007 and moved over to teach at Kittredge Magnet School in 2013.  In 2016, I was fortunate to be chosen to serve Evansdale Elementary as their assistant principal and served that community for 7.5 years. 

In February of 2024, I took the next step in my educational journey to begin my tenure at Vanderlyn and I could not be more thrilled to be in this position.  I have felt incredibly welcomed by the entire VES community and feel such an immense level of support from staff, students, and families.  

Each school year brings a new set of challenges and I look forward to working with all of our stakeholders to ensure that we meet the needs of all of our Vikings!


Robert Clayton
Principal
Vanderlyn Elementary
678-874-9002

Mr. Griffin Nichols


Hello Vikings,
My name is Griffin Nichols, and it is with great enthusiasm that I am part of the Vanderlyn Elementary School family! I am originally from Columbus, Ohio but have lived in Georgia since I was 8 years old. I have four children and I got married in 2023 to my wife who is a teacher in Cobb County where I live.
 
I am a graduate of Kennesaw State University and Piedmont College. I hold two Master’s degrees in Elementary Education and Educational Leadership and a Specialist Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I am also certified in Gifted Education, ESOL and Special Education.
 
I have 20 years of experience in education. Thirteen of those years were spent as a classroom teacher. Most recently, I was at Dunwoody Elementary where I worked as the Instructional Support Specialist, MTSS Chair, and the Gifted Liaison. I look forward to making a positive impact by contributing to the continued growth and development of Vanderlyn Elementary students, support staff, and faculty.
In my spare time, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends and traveling. I’m a huge fan of Florida State University.
 
If you can’t tell from this brief bio, I am truly honored and excited to be your Vanderlyn Elementary Assistant Principal and look forward to your support and assistance as we work together in developing, educating, and providing the children of our community with the necessary tools to achieve their full potential as leaders of the future.