• Highlands Elementary School, Principal Natalya Graham

Numerous parents wrote about the amazing care the school has for their children, particularly those with special needs, stating that the school is “beyond helpful” and “my child has progressed so much!”  Another parent wrote, “Every morning my children literally jump out of the car ready to go to class.”  One parent summed it up nicely  - “HES creates an inclusive, learning-friendly environment for all students by meeting the children where they are and building upon it. Learning is not a one size fits all and the school staff fully understand this.”  The faculty and staff shared that they consider the school one big family, and everyone agreed that the administration is “top notch!”

• Bayview Elementary School, Principal Claire St. Amand

Bayview was selected for the many nominations they received, especially from parents.  As one parent noted, Bayview has “created learning opportunities for all children, no matter if they have learning barriers - they support, encourage, praise, and above all, they have an unwavering love for all of their children.”  Several parents specifically noted the CSS program for creating a wonderful inclusive environment for their children.  As one parent stated, “Bayview continuously paves the way for a positive, engaging learning environment for all students. This schools treats you more like family than just a number.”

• Susie Tolbert Elementary School, Principal Shana Adams

Nominators specifically shared how community partners work with the school to support inclusivity, including City Year, Boys & Girls Club, and Kappa Alpha Psi.  These partners provide interventions, enrichment, and teach students how to build self-esteem.  Stanton High School partners with the school on STEM activities, and their students read to Tolbert’s third graders once a month.  Their theme for this year is “Eagle Strong: Back to Where We B’Long” and they believe in providing “opportunities that allow our students to prosper academically and emotionally in a protective and collaborative academic setting.”

• Hidden Oaks Elementary School, Principal LaWanda Polydore

As one nominator commented, “Hidden Oaks Elementary is the hidden gem of the Westside!” This year, HES organized and hosted a science themed Fall Festival with fun and games aligned to science standards, including a bounce house and pumpkin catapult to teach about gravity; Kona Ice and a Popcorn maker to teach about chemical and physical changes; and an interactive Fossil Dig. Other family friendly activities included Donuts for Dads, a Thanksgiving Luncheon, and third grade parent data chats.  The school has an in-house clothing closet, where families can shop for brand-new uniforms for their little ones. The school also has a top-tier family engagement center, with literacy, math and engineering games available for sign-out at any time.

• Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, Principal Lori Turner

Our TJ Tigers boast a plethora of family-friendly events at the school throughout the year.  Activities include a monthly character party and their annual Fall Festival.  Thomas Jefferson believes in getting the whole family involved, and hosted a Grandparent’s Bingo Night.  Other unique family engagement activities that were shared included Monster Mash and a Mentor Run.  Thomas Jefferson frequently brings family and community together with food through activities such as Goodies with loved ones, Donuts with Dads (300 strong!), and Bring a Veteran to Lunch day.  As a faith-based partner, Evangel Temple supplied back-to-school supplies for TJ students.

• Sandalwood High School, Principal Saryn Hatcher

The parents at Sandalwood are eager to share their enthusiasm for their “student and family friendly school.” Families and Community Partners are encouraged to engage in the school community thru various organizations such as PTSA, SAC, and a variety of booster organizations (several mentions of some band boosters that are real “Saints”!). Students and families are kept in the loop through a variety of platforms about happenings in the school. Families are supported through programs like Financial Aid night to help families navigate post high school opportunities. Community Partners are invited to engage with the school by supporting the various school athletics, clubs and activities through sponsorships, donations and mentoring, while local businesses provide internships and employment for Sandalwood students. In addition, Sandalwood continues to reach out to families with services the Full Service Schools center on campus.

• Chimney Lakes Elementary School, Principal Marianne Lee

If you visit Chimney Lakes, you might be surprised to run into some pretty strange characters, including Number Ninjas and Frax-o-nauts!  This is all part of a competition included in the school’s Math program called Reflexmath and Frax. In Reflexmath, students become Number Ninjas by improving their foundational computation skills. CLE Frax-o-nauts are mastering the concepts related to fractions. Students are excited to set their goals by hitting the green light twice a week on Reflexmath. Students who achieve their 100% fluency goal are invited to join the Party in the Park and earn a treat. CLE also celebrates the students who are meeting their monthly goals in their Acaletics Green Party. In October, students who have met their goal participated in a hula-hoop challenge and got to blow green bubbles (because everyone knows that Frax-o-nauts prefer green bubbles!)

• Hyde Park Elementary, Principal Shirley Winfrey

These wildcats are just WILD about math! Hyde Park students are challenged in math with rigorous content and work before the school day even begins!  Twice a week, students begin their day reviewing their multiplication and division facts in the hallways while waiting for entrance into the classroom. The teachers have created student teams to complete Math Missions and high performing students are able to share their problem-solving strategies with struggling students on their team.  This helps all students develop their own skills and strategies for solving math problems. Students also compete in Mental Math challenges, as well as Acaletics.  One nominator said it best: “Our team works hard to think of fun ways to implement, practice, and experience mathematics because math rocks and Hyde Park Elementary ROCKS MATH!”

• Bridge to Success Middle School, Principal Latoya Council

The students and parents at BTS-Middle had plenty to say about their rockin’ math teachers! Students shared that their teachers create “little benchmarks” and guided notes to help them remember math rules.  They shared that they have Marvelous Math Fridays, where different classes compete against each other in math for BTSA Bucks that they can use at the school market.  They especially liked the Kahoot and Blooklet games.  Students also shared that the teachers hold DND (Date Night with Data) nights for parents to come out and learn about their student’s progress in  math and how they can help at home.   One parent shared that the school provides an abundance of math resources to utilize at home, and for the first time math is becoming their child’s favorite subject!  Students repeatedly shared that their teachers went above and beyond to assist them and they felt special and supported in math.

• Duncan Fletcher High School, Principal Dean Ledford

One of the nominators described Fletcher HS as the “Pride of the Beaches” and noted their involved alumni, their decked out purple attire for every occasion (trust and believe that it is a sea of purple!), and their Homecoming Week activities.  Another comment mentions of the boys’ swim team being a traditional favorite of the football halftime performance.  Elementary and middle school students are also recruited at an early age to become young Senators, as they participate in the Homecoming parade down 3^rd Street.  One person put it best:  “Purple Pride is a very real thing at the beaches.”

• Garden City Elementary, Principal Ashley Cannington Miro

Garden City started out the school year demonstrating their Stinger BEE pride by hosting a Back to School Block Party that included a DJ, Bounce House, Kona Ice, and other goodies!  They also held a Bold City Day in conjunction with Bold City Church in which church volunteers helped decorate the school and worked with teachers in their classrooms to ready them for the opening of school.  This year, the students are rocking brand new spirit shirts.  This school is the bees knees for school spirit and they are just getting warmed up!

• Gregory Drive Elementary, Principal Augena Sapp

There is a lot to cheer about at Gregory Drive, according to all of the nominations the school received this month!  The school has received a makeover, both inside and out, with bright colors and decorations that share their theme of “A Rainbow of Possibilities.”  They kicked off the year by creating a Gregory Drive family tree, and everyone got to put their painted handprint on the wall as part of the family.  On Fridays they get to put on their tie-dyed school spirit shirts and have a number of special events planned, including a Fall Festival, Wow Wednesdays, and school dances to create an atmosphere of fun.  As one faculty member said, “The spirit is infectious and the smiles on each child face makes you have a great day.”