July 16, 2014
Dear Henderson Mill Community,
I hope that this letter finds you well, relaxing and enjoying the summer break! In just a few short weeks our full staff will be returning to finish the readying process as we gear up for the best year Henderson Mill Elementary School has ever had. I am happy to report that a lot has taken place since students and teachers left the building in late May. We have added new staff and repurposed some of our space to ensure that we support our students to the greatest extent possible as we strive to become a world-class STEM school.
Through your contributions to the Henderson Mill Foundation during March Mania, we are presently rebuilding part of our Media Center into the HME-TV Video Production Studio and have begun the process of creating a welcoming and open, child-centered Media Center. The student-run production studio will be airing the news live every morning to every classroom in the building and will be used by students to demonstrate their learning. When you come by the school, please don’t forget to drop by the Media Center and see your donated dollars at work. What a great technology addition to our STEM initiative!
I want to personally thank all of you who contributed generously to our March Mania campaign as well as those dedicated parents on our PTA and Foundation boards who have been working seamlessly for the consistent, quality improvement of Henderson Mill. Through your donations of money, energy, and time, our media center is set to receive over $40,000 in technology, equipment, structural, and furniture upgrades. The Foundation has also approved spending for the 2014-15 school year to support:
§ Grade level field trips
§ Continuation of Engineering is Elementary (EiE) program/supplies
§ $500 per grade level team to support grade level STEM initiatives
§ Teacher Professional Development
§ Automated External Defibrillator
§ LEGO Enrichment Education Program for all grade levels
Some of the bookcases that were removed from the Media Center Conference Room have been repurposed in our new Literacy Center, a place for our teachers to access leveled non-fiction and fiction texts to use with students in small groups. This will complement our objectives to personalize our reading and writing instruction to meet the needs of all learners.
The second half of our technology upgrade began earlier this week. We are excited about the addition of 21 Promethean ActivBoards. With this successful install, all classrooms at Henderson Mill will be equipped with a Promethean ActivBoard. Expect to see our teachers using these for instruction and assessment purposes and our students to be using them to demonstrate their learning.
The District has also begun our ADA upgrades to the building. The contractors have been remodeling our staff and kindergarten restrooms in an effort to make them accessible to any student or adult with mobility challenges before the beginning of the school year. As well, we are expecting a redesign to the front of our building with the addition of a ramp to the right of the main entrance. As you can tell, things have been quite busy around here!
Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, August 6th from 8:00AM – 2:00PM. Please see the attached notice from PTA with additional details. Please come by the school over the next two weeks to show your proof of residency if you own or lease your home (utility bill, mortgage, deed, or lease). If you are living with others, please stop by the school and pick up an affidavit and additional instructions.
I am very excited about returning for my first full year. Over my first six months, I have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know you, our outstanding faculty and staff, and our students. I remain dedicated to continuous quality improvement as we seek to make Henderson Mill Elementary a world-class school where everyone is committed to meaningful collaboration, student engagement, and building quality relationships. Thank you for the dedication and support you continue to show me and our school as a whole.
Please be certain to carefully read the rest of the information contained in this mailing. I am looking forward to seeing you on August 6th for Open House and on August 11th for our first day of school.
Sincerely,
Mitch Green
Principal