Greetings, City Neighbors
The start of CNH Year Two has ushered in many new things, including me. I am the new principal and I am very happy to be here with you.
In the short time I have been here, I have had occasion to meet and become acquainted with many of you and your children--children who fill our hearts, souls, and classrooms. My short and long term goal is not only to meet all of you, but to know each of you, as well as to let everyone know who I am. I truly believe that the work of the principal is best done in concert with everyone who has a stake in education, including students, staff, and families. I believe we need to know one another, listen to each other attentively as we share ideas, generate goals and initiatives based on mutual understandings, and support one another along the way.
As I reflect on the mission and vision of CNH, one tenet in particular flows to the forefront of my mind: We are a progressive school because we are inclusive. We are inclusive because we intend to take on the ever-so-difficult work of getting to know each and every child as an individual with a distinctive personality, distinctive interests, as well as a unique learning style. The intention to reach and teach all children speaks to the high level of professional commitment, energy, and resilience demonstrated by the faculty and staff of CNH.
We are a progressive school because we are striving to leverage our knowledge and understanding of who each and every student is and how each and every student learns best so that we can generate learning activities and experiences (curricula) that motivate, engage, and appropriately challenge each and every student. This is a tall, yet attainable order.
As a professional learning community, we will be investing our professional development time and ongoing professional efforts in providing students with high quality instruction by means of a balanced, workshop-based approach to literacy and mathematics education, as well as arts-integration and project-based learning. Social studies and science concepts and skills will be integrated into literacy, math, the arts, and project work. Content standards will be the backdrop against which learning activities are planned and implemented.
We are a progressive school because we believe that the social and emotional growth and development of children is of paramount importance. Again, our faculty and staff have committed to engaging in research and continuous discourse to ensure that we reach our goal of meeting the needs of each and every child.
I think that I speak for the entire CNH staff when I say that it is a privilege and a pleasure to be in a relationship with the students and families of CNH. Here's to great partnerships; here's to a great school!
Fern Skolnick Cruz
Principal
fcruz@cityneighborshamilton.org
