In Carol Judd's Bell Hill Elementary School, there was a method to everything.

After 28 years of refining those methods, Judd has published a book laying out 39 practices to administer a successful school. “Principal Practices” is available at the Book Seller in downtown Grass Valley, where she will sign copies in January.

The retired Grass Valley school administrator is a firm believer in methods, and had them for just about everything at the campus that predates Grass Valley Charter School — methods for the way students went for a drink of water, walked to the bathroom and even handled the old ball-over-the-playground-fence scenario.

Create a method, avoid the madness.

“The book was a journey of joy for me,” Judd said. “My point with the book is to tell people that when you take care of your students you'll see a happier, more motivated school.”

She began the book after going to lunch with an old friend who was a new administrator. He asked Judd to write down a few of the practices that had helped her.

“We usually went Dutch, but when he'd read what I'd written, he said the advice was worth more than that bill and picked up lunch,” Judd said.

At that point, Judd continued to write, eventually compiling enough material to make her think about writing a book.

“I never in a million years thought I'd write a book,” Judd added.

Happiness vs. performance

The book is geared toward new administrators, who are growing in number as baby boomer-era principals head into retirement.

Judd covers a variety of topics geared at creating happy schools, throwing out traditional strains on administrators such as test scores and teacher performance. Those come as byproducts of focusing on the methods which allow for a happy school, Judd said.

“Include. Respect. Seek everyone's input. You will have a strong staff where everyone will want to give 150 percent if you seek to include them and make them a part of your decisions,” Judd said.

Student performance on those all-important tests were high, she said, during Judd's tenure as vice-principal and principal at Bell Hill. She retired in 2005.

She also deals with problems which may not have a pre-determined method or solution, such as the time in 1986 when a kindergarten girl at her school was brutally killed.

The staff gathered, poured out their emotions and then planned an answer to the students' inevitable questions. They also took stock of their position in each child's life.

“The thing that stood out about this student was how glad she was while she was at school. Only later did I know how glad,” Judd said. “We only had those students for five and a half hours every day, and our job was to make those the best hours we possibly could.”

Know & Go

Carol Judd is signing her book “Principle Practices” from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9 at the Book Seller on 107 Mill Street.

To contact Staff Writer Kyle Magin, e-mail kmagin@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4239.