Mandi McClain

Elementary School Principal

My favorite Bible verse is...Philippians 2:5-8

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!"

I have spent much of my life wandering the halls of RCS. As a teacher's kid, I spent MANY hours after school and during summers while my mom, Mrs. Raborn, worked. It seemed like we were always at school! I just knew I was NOT going to be a teacher...but God had His hand on my life and led me to Liberty University where I earned my Bachelor's of Science degree in Special Education and met my future husband, Zach.

My teaching career started at RCS in the 2004-2005 school year. I taught 4th grade and then 7th grade and coached volleyball, basketball, and softball. After Zach and I got married, we moved to Baltimore for his job as a software developer. We lived in the city and had a wonderful time exploring all that Baltimore has to offer. While there, I taught many subjects at the elementary and middle school levels at both private and public schools. In 2015, God called me into another ministry: motherhood.

I took a few years off from the classroom when Zach and I had our daughters, Kellen and Elodie. It was such a blessing to see them developing each day and that was a season I treasure. In 2019, God began leading us back to Richmond and closer to my family. So, during a pandemic, we moved. We are absolutely thrilled to be part of the RCS family and be able to watch our girls grow and make life-long friends here. Kellen will be in 2nd grade this year, and Elodie will be in kindergarten. I know they will have an excellent education and be richly blessed by the faculty and staff.

We have found a wonderful church family at Parkway, and we are finding ways to get connected with various ministries. When I'm not at school, I love to entertain, cook, travel, read, listen to music, get outside, watch sports, and create things.