Three veteran educators in the Halifax County school system were named to fill open principal posts in county elementary schools.
Sue P. Bagbey, a Special Education teacher at Halifax County High School was named as a teaching principal at Virgilina Elementary School.
She will succeed former Virgilina Elementary School Principal Aleta Fears.
Linda C. Maitland was appointed by the Halifax County School Board to be the principal at Meadville Elementary School.
Maitland will fill the post that had been occupied by Melissa Newton.
Yesalavich was appointed by the School Board to serve as the principal at Sydnor Jennings Elementary School, a post left open by the retirement of the school's principal, Bradley Ingram.
In addition, Yesalavich will continue to serve as principal of Volens Elementary School until that school closes in January.
Bagbey will be in something of an unusual position as a teaching principal at Virgilina Elementary School.
Halifax County School Superintendent Dennis Witt said yesterday that Bagbey, a Special Education teacher, will serve in that capacity as well as be in charge of the school.
Bagbey, he said, will have a full-time secretary and a full-time aide in her classroom.
Witt explained that a Special Education teacher was needed at the school and that Bagbey is able to handle both jobs.
"She is qualified for both of these jobs," Witt said.
"Mrs. Bagbey is a very knowledgeable person, lives in the community and has worked in the school before. We think she is the appropriate person for the job."
Witt also said a factor in naming Bagbey to the dual position is that the student enrollment at Virgilina Elementary School is expected to be less than 100 students this fall.
"There are not a lot of administrative issues that will have to be dealt with," Witt said.
"She will provide instructional leadership for the school and will be the school's spokesman at the principals' meetings and in other matters."
Bagbey began teaching in the Halifax County school system in 1983 and has taught at various times in her career at Scottsburg Elementary School and Virgilina Elementary School.
She taught in the Person County, N.C. school system during the 1995-96 school year but returned to the local school system where she served another stint at Virgilina Elementary School.
In 1998, Bagbey began teaching Special Education at Halifax County High School and has been at the high school since that time.
Bagbey earned a Master's Degree in Elementary Supervision from Longwood College in August, 1994.
She received her B.S. Degree from Slippery Rock State College in Pennsylvania in May, 1983.
Maitland will be taking her first administrative post in the school system as the new principal at Meadville Elementary School.
She began her teaching career in Fairfax where she taught during the 1974-75 school year.
After that, Maitland taught in Staunton from 1975 through 1978.
Maitland began her teaching career in Halifax County in 1986 and has been a member of the faculty at Washington-Coleman Elementary School since that time.
She has been serving as a teacher in the federally funded Title I program in recent years.
Maitland received a Master's Degree in Elementary Administration and Supervision from Longwood College in December of last year.
In 1976, she received a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from James Madison University.
Maitland received a B.S. Degree in Home Economics Education from James Madison University in 1972.
Yesalavich will also hold a unique position in the school system in serving as principal of two schools.
She will become the principal at Sydnor Jennings Elementary School while retaining the position she has held for several years as principal of Volens Elementary School.
However, Volens Elementary School will be closed in January after renovations and additions to Sydnor Jennings Elementary School are completed.
The closing of Volens Elementary School will leave Yesalavich with one school to lead.

The Halifax County School Board expelled a Halifax County High School student for 365 days Monday night as punishment for bringing a BB gun to school.
Halifax County School Superintendent Dennis Witt said state law requires the measure as punishment for students who bring weapons to school.
"We want to make it very clear that you do not bring a gun, a knife, or any other weapon to school," Witt said.
Witt pointed out that the student, a male student in the tenth grade, has not been in school since the May 20 incident.
"It was a very real-looking pistol even though it was a BB pistol," Witt said.
The weapon, Witt said, was found in the student's book bag.
"Somebody knew he (the student) had it and reported it to the principal," Witt said when asked to explain the circumstances of the incident.
The school superintendent said nobody was faced with any harm in the incident.
"He never threatened anyone," Witt said.
"A lot of times kids that bring weapons to school have a reason but he didn't have a reason."
The decision to expel the student was made by the School Board following a closed disciplinary hearing for the matter.

The cadence of auctioneers will be soon heard in South Boston.
Town Council unanimously voted to amend Town Code to allow auction galleries in specific areas of town after a public hearing Monday.
Councilmen voted to include "auction gallery" as definitions of businesses allowed by Special Use Permit within South Boston in a B-2 General Business District.
Also approved was an amendment setting a ratio of one space per three seats for the schedule of off street parking requirements for individual auction galleries.
Bob Chenery, an auctioneer with Wilkins Realtors of Danville, originally came before the Planning Commission in April to ask permission to conduct at least two, and possibly three auctions at 900 John Randolph Boulevard during June, July and August.
Both Chenery and local antique dealer Brenda Couch spoke in favor of the amendments to the town's Zoning Ordinance, with Couch saying that antique galleries would be an economic asset to the area, as well as a convenience to local dealers.
Councilmen also granted Chenery temporary permission to conduct auctions at the John Randolph location until a Conditional Use Permit could formally be adopted.
Chenery said that he needed two or three auctions in order to get his business started, and to get momentum for the winter months, in anticipation of a move to a larger location next year.
Chenery, who is married to the former Janis Crews of South Boston, is aiming for a late June or early July opening.
The businessman said yesterday he "wants a family-type atmosphere at his auctions, selling nice things, but affordable ones, things you can buy and use in your home the next day - not out of reach and not flea market material."
Chenery is anticipating future auctions that might include furniture, vintage jewelry, Depression glassware, candelabras, gilded mirrors and specialty items and primitives.
Chenery expressed his thanks to the Planning Commission, Town Council, Police Chief Jim Hall and particularly Town Manager Ted Daniel for their quick response to his request.

South Boston Councilmen approved the FY 2001-2002 budget for South Boston on its second reading, as well as a resolution establishing fees and taxes at its Monday meeting.
The $12,636,188 overall budget contains no tax increases, but does include a three percent increase in water and sewer rates and an increase in landfill user rates from $1 to $2 per month.
South Boston Town Council appointed new members to both the Industrial Development Authority and Southside Planning District Commission and adopted its budget for the next Fiscal Year at its June meeting on Monday.
Felton, Pambid Approved
Town Council approved the appointment of Hill Felton Jr. to the South Boston Industrial Authority at Monday's meeting.
Councilmen additionally approved the appointment of Lee Pambid to the Southside District Planning Commission.
Citizens Speak Out
South Boston residents Marie Watkins and Kenneth Cranford appeared before council during its public comment period Monday to express their concerns over speeding traffic and town zoning violations, respectively.
Watkins, a resident of Sutphin Road, told councilmen that she was speaking in behalf of neighbors on her street when she expressed her concerns about speeding on Sutphin Road.
According to Watkins, drivers, by and large, have not been obeying the 25 MPH speed limit on Sutphin Road.
"They come through here like it was a race track, particularly on Sunday, when elderly people are coming out of church," said Watkins.
"They speed through here all the time - we need something, because they're not paying attention to the speed limit."
Town resident Kenneth Cranford expressed to council his outrage over what he saw as a multitude of violations regarding the town's sign ordinance.
According to Cranford, he rode with a police officer on Saturday through a 15-block area of town, seeing no fewer than eight violations of the ordinance, which, as a member of town council, he had worked on for years.
Cranford mentioned yard sale notices on utility poles and signs for "800 number offers to make money at home," as two specific violations.
"It's tantamount to the trashing of South Boston...it's offensive and ugly as well as illegal," said Cranford.
"This town if very dear to me; I just want to make sure the laws are enforced."
Both Watkins and Cranford were assured by Mayor Abernathy that appropriate action would be taken in response to both their comments.

Carol Conner, RN, has been named interim manager of the local hospice program.
Dr. Neil Schacht is the program's medical director.
Approximately 50 patients and their families, have participated in the program during the past year, according to Chris Lumsden, Halifax Regional Health System's chief executive officer.
The program provides pain management and palliative care to terminally ill patients.
"Over the last year we have received pretty good feedback from patients and families (regarding the program), " Lumsden said yesterday.
However, Lumsden said that a complaint filed the first of April prompted a reorganization of the hospice program.
"The state had to survey the complaint," said Lumsden. Inconsistencies in record keeping, training and orientation prompted the following reorganization.
"We took the survey as a challenge to make the agency better and to make some changes within the agency. We are going to do this right because it is so important to patients and their families."
Lumsden said that the hospital adopted a stringent plan of action for its reorganization, including employing a hospice consultant to deal with changes in the agency.
An important component of hospice is volunteerism, explained Lumsden.
"The volunteer element is critical to the program and includes social workers, clergy, nursing ...," Lumsden said. "The whole team together makes us stronger.
"We have some good people involved with the program and we have no intention of closing it. It is too important to the community and its dedicated volunteers."

Honors are continuing to come in for the Western District champion Halifax County High School baseball team.
Two Comets players, third baseman and pitcher Michael Priest and centerfielder Nick Thompson have been named to the First Team of the All Northwest Region Baseball Team.
The two seniors were key figures in the success of the Halifax County High School baseball team which made it to the Final Four of the Group AAA State Baseball Tournament and gave the school its first appearance in the state tournament in six years.
Ironically, Priest and Thompson were the only two Comets players named to the All Northwest Region Team.
Six Comets players, Priest, Thompson, hurler Scott Adams, catcher Adam Conner, first baseman Justin Shepperd and designated hitter Jonathan Wallace, were named to the First Team of the All Western District Baseball Team.
However, only Priest and Thompson were selected to the All Northwest Region Team.
GW was the only other Western District team to have players selected to the All Northwest Region Team.
The Eagles' Jason Moan, an outfielder, was named to the First Team while GW's top hurler, Justin Tubb , and infielder Jon Fulton were Second Team selections.
Eight of the 24 players named to the All Northwest Region Team came from Roanoke Valley District schools.
Roanoke Valley District champion Cave Spring landed three players on the First Team and one player on the Second Team as the school emerged with the most picks on the All Northwest Region Team.
Cave Spring was ousted in the opening round of the Northwest Region Tournament by GW.
GW defeated Cave Spring in both of their regular season meetings and downed the Knights for the third time in the Northwest Region Tournament.
Cave Spring hurler Tyler Lumsden was named as the Northwest Region's Most Valuable Player.
C.D. Hylton coach John Colantuoni was named the Coach of the Year in the Northwest Region.
That honor is reserved for the coach of the Northwest Region Tournament champion.
C.D. Hylton edged the Comets 7-6 in eight innings in the Northwest Region Tournament title game.

Halifax County High School hurler Anna Lewis has earned a second major postseason honor.
Lewis, the Comets' senior pitcher, has been named as the Northwest Region Pitcher of the Year.
That honor is a big addition to what was a stellar season for Lewis who earlier had been named as the Most Valuable Player in the Western District.
Lewis is one of three Comets players who have received additional post-season honors.
She along with senior catcher Branda Best and senior third baseman Lindsay Stolzenthaler, have been named to the First Team of the All Northwest Region Softball Team.
The Comets' trio were the only players from the Western District to be named to a position on the First Team of the All Northwest Region Team.
Two other Comets players, second baseman Jenny Armistead and outfielder Felicia Sprattley were earlier named to the First Team of the All Western District Softball Team.
However, neither of them were selected for the All Northwest Region Team.
Only three other players from Western District teams were selected for the All Northwest Region Team.
They included Krystal Mendenhall and Keisha Venable from GW and Albemarle's Tori Flint.
Roanoke Valley District champion Cave Spring, the team that downed the Comets in the Northwest Region Tournament, also landed three players on the All Northwest Region Team but had only one player named to the First Team.
Franklin County, which is also a Roanoke Valley District Team, had two of its players named to the All Northwest Region team with one selected to the First Team.
Osbourne Park, a team in the Cardinal District, had two players named to the All Northwest Region Team as did Commonwealth District team Brook Point.

Mary Hester Whitt Reagan, 89, of 1216 Golf Course Road, Halifax, died June 10 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Reagan was born in Granville County, N.C. on August 29, 1911, the daughter of Nebu Chadnezzar 'Nep' Whitt and Mattie Sue Gravitt Whitt, and was married to Luther Merritt Reagan Sr. She was a member of Revelation Baptist Church, and retired from Burlington Industries.
Graveside services will be held today, June 13 at 2 p.m. at Shady Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery in Virgilina. The Rev. Rudolph Jacobs will conduct the service.
Survivors of Mrs. Reagan include four sons, Onard Albright Reagan and wife, Norma M. Reagan of Halifax, Ruby Chadnezzar Reagan and wife, Henrietta R. Reagan of South Boston, James Aster Reagan Sr. of Alton, and Tincy Norwood Reagan and wife, Maryann W. Reagan of Alton; another daughter-in-law, Linda Conner Reagan, also of Alton; two brothers, Raymond Chadnezzar Whitt of Riverside, Calif. and Henry Addison 'H.A.' Whitt of Holiday, Fla.; four sisters, Goldie Virginia W. Lowery of Graham, N.C., Elsie Francis Whitt and Shirley Jean W. Conner, both of South Boston and Mattie Beddie W. Jones of Chatham; 19 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by three sons, Armstead Thomas Reagan, Luther Merritt Reagan Jr. and William C. 'Billy' Reagan Sr.; two brothers, Emerson Lindenburg Whitt and William Riley Whitt; two sisters, Lucille Rebecca Whitt and Annie Bob Whitt; and three grandchildren.

Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider your favorite charity.

James Wesley 'J.W.' Sandidge Jr., 45, of Scottsburg, died June 10.
Mr. Sandidge was born in Altavista on February 10, 1956, the son of Doris Moorefield of Scottsburg and James Wesley Sandidge Sr. of Newport News, and was married to the late Kathleen Sandidge.
He was a graduate of Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School and was employed locally by Lewis Metal Works. He attended Revelation Baptist Church.
Survivors include his parents; his stepfather, Robert Moorefield; his stepmother, Carol Sandidge; one daughter, Joy L. Sandidge of Kingsport, Tenn.; one sister, Denise Echols of Newport News; two stepsisters, Nancy Rowe and Mary Wiggs, both of Newport News; three stepbrothers, Wayne Moorefield and Travis Justice, both of Newport News, and Rodney Moorefield of Chapel Hill, N.C.; and his fiance, Kathy Saxton of Scottsburg.

Graveside services for Mr. Sandidge will be held at 1 p.m. June 14 at Peninsula Memorial in Newport News. Rev. Rudolph Jacobs will conduct the service.

Nellie Stevens Glass, 77, of Altavista, died June 9 at Lynchburg General Hospital. She was the wife of Sam L. Glass.
Born July 12, 1923, in Halifax County, she was a daughter of the late Daniel J. Stevens Sr. and Mamie Owen Stevens. She was a member of Central Baptist Church.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Glass is survived by one daughter, Judy Mitchell and her husband, Allen Ray of Altavista; two brothers, Walter D. Stevens of Halifax and Frank Stevens of South Boston; two sisters, Sally S. Smith of Virgilina and Elizabeth S. Bane of South Boston; two grandchildren, Sheryl M. Hicks and her husband, Andy and Ryan Allen Mitchell, all of Altavista. She was preceded in death by five brothers.
A funeral service was held June 12 at 2 p.m. in Central Baptist Church by the Rev. H.V. Conner, Dr. Jim Nelson and Rev. Brady Willis. Burial will follow in Altavista Memorial Park.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Central Baptist Church, PO Box 387, Altavista, 24517, or Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation, 860 Red Hill Road, Brookneal, 24528.

Elsie Wilborne Snead, 81, of 2070 Huell Matthews Hwy., South Boston, died June 11 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Snead was born in Halifax County on February 17, 1920, the daughter of Jefferson Davis Wilborne and Nora Scott Wilborne and was married to William Robert Snead Sr. She was a member of the South Boston Church of God, where she was a Sunday school teacher for teens and young adults, was a member of the church ladies auxiliary and was a youth camp counselor.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Carolyn S. Bransby and husband, Mike of Atlanta, Ga. and Joanne S. Woodruff and husband, Ray of Burlington, N.C.; two sons, William R. 'Bill' Snead Jr. and wife, Linda of South Boston and James Franklin 'Jimmie' Snead and wife, Cheryl of Atlanta; four sisters, Sylvia W. Thomas of South Boston, Ruby W. Ford and Jackie W. Cuneo, both of Richmond and Mary W. Rowe of Newbern, N.C.; five brothers, Henry Wilborne and Raleigh Wilborne, both of South Boston, Harvey Wilborne of Thomasville, N.C., Donald Wilborne of High Point, N.C., And Bobby Wilborne of Kernersville, N.C.; 10 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Funeral services for Mrs. Snead will be held today, June 13 at 2 p.m. at South Boston Church of God with the Rev. Dr. Bill Leonard and Jimmie Snead conducting the service. Burial will take place in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider the Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Home, PO Box 1398, Brookneal, 24534, or the Gideons.