On January 18th, Dr. Gary Davison announced that Mrs. Amanda Thrower would be the new principal of Lambert High School. In the weeks since, students have had the pleasure of seeing her familiarize herself with the school and learn from Dr. Davison. With a passion for education and a clear vision for the future, Mrs. Thrower is eagerly preparing to take on the challenges that come with leading such a dynamic institution. Her presence at Lambert is already making a positive impact, and students and staff alike are anticipating the future under her leadership.

Mrs. Thrower brings two decades worth of educational experience to Lambert. She has served in various leadership roles throughout her career, including teaching English, working as a Media Specialist, ITS and Instructional Coach and serving as an assistant principal at both middle and high school levels. Notably, she has spent the last three years as the principal of Liberty Middle School. Her passion for working with young people is evident in all that she does, and she is committed to creating a nurturing and challenging academic environment that prepares students for success in all aspects of their lives. One of the primary reasons she chose to accept the principal position at Lambert was because the school’s values align with her own.

“The mission of Lambert High School is to provide students with a comprehensive education that not only focuses on academic excellence but also emphasizes character development and community,” Mrs. Thrower said. 

However, becoming the leader of Lambert is not without its challenges. It can be intimidating to lead the largest high school in Forsyth, but Thrower is equipped to handle it with grace. She is determined to have Lambert remain a top-performing school in the region. 

“We have an incredible group of educators at Lambert High School, and my goal is to support them in every way possible,” Mrs. Thrower said. “We want to create an environment where students feel challenged, motivated and engaged in their learning.”

Currently, Thrower divides her time between Liberty and Lambert, aiming to immerse herself in the Lambert environment as much as possible.

“My current goal right now is just to be here as much as I can to get to know the staff, the students and the families with as much availability as I can spare,” Thrower explained. “It’s to get to know everyone and to get to know the organization. There’s no point in changing something that you don’t know, so for right now, the most important thing is building relationships.”

To establish stronger connections with the Lambert community, Thrower has been making an effort to attend as many events as possible.

“I’ve been trying to get to like an athletic event or something once a week,” Thrower said. “I’ll be doing the high school one-on-one presentations with Dr. D, so I can get out and start meeting some of the upcoming freshmen families. Overall, just being here as much as possible to get to connect with kiddos.”

Apart from her career in education, Thrower is a devoted wife and mother to a family deeply rooted in Forsyth. Her husband serves as a counselor at Forsyth Academy, while her two daughters, Ada and Cora Thrower, attend Lambert High School and her son, Davis, is currently in fourth grade at Johns Creek Elementary. Having been a member of the community since 2010, Thrower has a strong connection to Forsyth and even purchased a brick when Lambert High School was being constructed. With over 22 years of experience living in Forsyth, combined with her role as a Lambert parent, Thrower brings a well-rounded perspective to Lambert High School.

“I think Lambert has a very unique culture,” Thrower said. “Having kids here helps me understand that a little bit more. It’s a competitive place for kids to go to school, and I recognize that as a mom with two girls who are trying to navigate through that too.” 

Thrower is dedicated to preserving the positive aspects of Lambert’s competitive culture while mitigating the elements of competition that can be overwhelming.

“I think recognizing that Lambert has this drive for excellence in everything from our athletics to CTE, just all of it,” Thrower explained. “I think coming in as a leader, I can honor that drive but also make sure we’re supporting students through what can be pretty stressful.”

Lambert High School provides multiple graduation routes to students, and one of Thrower’s main priorities is to ensure that these options remain available to serve students of all types. With the advent of online platforms like Georgia Virtual School (GAVS) and dual enrollment, Lambert’s selection of online classes has expanded significantly, providing students with greater flexibility to select a pathway that best suits their needs.

“It’s vital we’re meeting the needs of all students because success takes all forms,” Thrower said. “For some, it may be taking every AP course available, and for other kids, that may be walking across that stage, and we’ve got to be ready to adapt to whatever needs the students have.”

Lambert is anticipating having its largest student body ever, with over 3,000 students expected next year. Mrs. Thrower advises students to seek out a community of peers who share similar interests to help make the school feel more personal.

“My oldest daughter, she’s found theater, “ Thrower said. “That’s her connectivity. That’s her family. I think it’s important we encourage kids who are just focused on the competitive aspect to find something here that just makes them happy so that Lambert is more than just a place where they’re competing.”

Lambert High School is excited to welcome Mrs. Thrower as its new principal. As she takes on this new role, it is clear that she has a deep appreciation for the school’s history and an unwavering commitment to its future. With her passion, vision, and commitment to excellence, Mrs. Thrower is poised to lead Lambert High School to new heights of success.

“I’m just really excited to be back in my home community and to carry the level of expectation that is expected by our community that our kids deserve and are capable of, and our staff prides themselves on,” Thrower said.