The school year’s end is just the beginning for one Denton principal.

After spending more than half a year in hospitals, Rod Southard, principal at Stephens Elementary School, returned to work full time last month at the Shady Shores campus.

DRC/Gary Payne

Principal Rod Southard returned to Stephens Elementary School in Shady Shores in early May. Southard was hospitalized for more than six months after suffering from an aneurysm and infections.

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Southard could not open his new campus last August after undergoing emergency surgery last June.

He arrived at Stephens Elementary the first week in May.

His first day back with his students was like finding a missing piece of his life’s puzzle, he said.

“It was a euphoric feeling. It was like I was home,” Southard said. “I had been gone for so long and you don’t realize how you miss kids’ pictures on the wall … them walking down the halls and smiling at you. The day went by so fast.”

Southard said the days have moved rather fast with getting up to speed on what he’s missed over the past school year and carrying out the duties of ending one school year and preparing for the next. Having been absent for most of the campus’ first full year, he said he was surprised to come in and see his students, some of whom he had never met but who knew him by name.

“It was almost like I had been on a long trip,” he said. “They knew who I was. It was real strange.”

Eric Harting, who served as interim principal at Stephens Elementary during Southard’s illness, said as soon as educators knew Southard would return soon, teachers started preparing the students for his return.

Early on in the year, school staff did not tell students about their principal’s health condition, though some learned through their parents. As he progressed, students grew interested in his recovery.

Though students had not met Southard face to face, they built relationships with him by sending him letters and banners in the hospital, Harting said in an earlier interview.

When Southard returned, Harting said, students were excited to put a name to a face and see that he was doing well.

Harting said Southard had a swift connection with students.

“He developed bonds quickly and he made the students comfortable,” Harting said.

Shortly after saying goodbye to his students at Savannah Elementary School last summer, Southard was admitted to a hospital to treat a main artery splenetic aneurysm. Soon after the surgery, he developed an infection that led to additional surgeries.

Southard spent close to five months in Denton and Dallas hospitals, where he faced several setbacks, lost close to 120 pounds, was placed in critical and intensive care units, and was sometimes on a ventilator. He spent about a month in a Denton rehabilitation facility and was released in December.

In late January, Southard returned to work part time in the school district central office’s human resources department.

Southard said Ray Braswell, the district’s superintendent, asked him to first start work at the administration building, to ensure he was physically and emotionally ready before returning full time to run Stephens Elementary.

Southard said he’s not 100 percent physically yet, and is continuing rehabilitation and his health is holding up pretty well.

In the last few weeks, keeping up with demands of children during field day and moving heavy objects were tough, he said, but he hopes to be back to his normal self soon.

“Every day it’s getting better,” Southard said. “I would hope that I’m well on my way and at the start of next school year I’m back to where I want to be.”

BRITNEY TABOR can be reached at 940-566-6876. Her e-mail address is btabor@dentonrc.com .