Ambitious and Fun-Loving Administrator Joins TRS

The Redeemer’s School is blessed to have several new additions to the TRS family this school year. Mrs. Leanna Range-Norwood is one of those blessings! During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that impacted our spring semester, our school was not prepared to immediately pivot to deliver a successful Distance Learning solution. But God sent us an angel in the form of Mrs. Range-Norwood, who now serves The Redeemer’s School as our Innovative Learning Strategist.

If you’re a TRS student or parent, you likely recognize Mrs. Range-Norwood as the uplifting, energetic spirit who gets TRS students pumped and energized virtually each morning. Her “good morning” song and array of silly headbands and props make virtual learning a bit more fun!

This passionate educator is a transplant from Boston, MA. Leanna was raised in Jackson and graduated from Jackson Public Schools in 1987. The JPS alumna went on to earn two degrees from The University of Mississippi. As a lifelong Mississippian, Mrs. Range-Norwood says she has seen the state transcend over time and often reminisces on childhood memories like attending Lee Elementary School. This serene, yet upbeat spirit also has vivid memories from back in the day when Jackson Mayor Dale Danks was in office. As a young girl, Leanna recalls her baptism at Farish Street Baptist Church in downtown Jackson. She now attends St. James Episcopal Church and says her favorite place to be is on the St. James Labyrinth on Tuesday mornings for Holy Communion.

Mrs. Range-Norwood comes to us with a plethora of experience! After college she moved from Jackson to work in Washington D.C. for one year. She then returned to Mississippi to earn her graduate degree from Ole Miss. Upon graduation, Leanna was hired to work in the Shelby County School District, followed by a short time sharing her talents with the Little Rock, Arkansas School District. Ultimately, this ambitious and creative educator returned back home to Mississippi to work for the Barksdale Reading Institute. 

During her time at the Barksdale Reading Institute, Mrs. Range-Norwood met a St. Andrew's Episcopal School parent who introduced her to the school’s Lower School Head of School. I imagine Mrs. Range-Norwood quickly impressed administrators who hired her as a Lower School teacher, followed by a promotion as the Head of the Lower School. After serving in this capacity, Leanna says, “I wanted to experience a different aspect of St. Andrews and began serving as Director of Global Studies,” which allowed her to travel and serve people worldwide. Once her service to St. Andrews was complete, she consulted with a homeschool organization before joining TRS in the summer of 2020. When asked “why TRS?” she replied, “TRS has great vision and leadership. The fact that it is a place where I can work, worship and play makes it the perfect place.”

Outside of her professional pursuits, it is no surprise that Mrs. Range-Norwood serves the community in a number of ways. She is a sustaining member of The Jackson Junior League and an Associate Member in Jack and Jill of America. Leanna is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and serves as Vice-Chair of the School of Education Advisory Board at The University of Mississippi.

Putting the professional realm aside, Leanna is the wife of Eric Norwood. The two met in and attended middle school and high school together! She is also the mother of a son named Kennedy who is studying as a Junior at Hampton University.  Additionally, Mrs. Range-Norwood is a proud and loving daughter, sister, friend and aunt. She says, “I love who I am with the people in the roles that I serve.”  The lively instructor says she considered moving to Texas, but decided against it because “I feel deeply rooted in this place, and I honestly don’t feel like my work here is done,” says Leanna.

Leanna comes from a line of educated predecessors who she is rightfully proud of. During an era when higher education was a far-fetched dream for most African-Americans, her maternal grandmother and grandfather attended and graduated from Tuskegee Institute. Leanna’s grandfather’s list of accomplishments go on to include serving the United States as one of the historic Tuskegee Airmen. He is buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Some other interesting facts about Mrs. Range-Norwood … she told me very nonchalantly that she has Medgar Evers’ piano in her home and she recently discovered that she has an original Hale Woodruff (considered one of the premiere African-American artists during the Depression Era) painting!

Mrs. Range-Norwoord, thank you for your very intentional commitment and energy to TRS! I think it is safe to say that YOU are an answered prayer!