Welcome to the 2021–2022 school year! I am very excited to be beginning another school year at Harrisburg Elementary. I am looking forward to having all of the students back in the building and busy at work. I am grateful for the opportunityto work at a school which has a strong reputation for its academic programs and extensive parent support. The partnership between the outstanding staff and the dedicated parents continues to be the key to the academic success of all students. My goal each day is for Harrisburg to continue to be a place where all students, teachers and families want to be, and a place where we all grow both academically and socially. This summer has been another busy summer. The teachers have been working on preparing their classrooms and planning instruction to ensure we are ready for our students. Summer preparation includes attending professional development, working at summer school and curriculum planning. The custodians have done a fantastic job making sure the building is clean and in wonderful condition.

 

As in the past, our goal is to continue to provide a rigorous academic program while ensuring the school is a safe, inviting, and caring environment for all students. We will continue to utilize data to make instructional decisions and differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students. Our goal is academic growth for all students, and to continue to build relationships/partnerships with students and families. The Confucius Classroom, Mandarin Immersion and the Global Program will continue to be a focus, a distinction for Harrisburg. This year we are excited to grow our Mandarin Immersion Program to 3rd grade. We will also continue our PBIS program where students earn points for positive behavior. This year we will be utilizing the official House App to collect points to continue to expand the House System at Harrisburg. We are excited to introduce you to some of our new staff this school year. You will notice that some of the “new” staff members are familiar faces from the past and we are so happy to welcome them back home! You will see their names listed on the next page. We are also welcoming 9 student teachers to the HES Family. We are a Partner School with UNC Charlotte which allows us the opportunity to work with these fantastic new teachers.

 

Communication will continue to be the key to our success. You will continue to receive newsletters, Blackboard Connect voicemail and email messages to keep you aware of important school events, news, and schedule changes, and as a source for information about attendance and cafeteria balances. Teachers will continue to utilize their classroom website, email, newsletters, and notes sent home to keep you aware of what is going on inside the classroom. We encourage you to take part in our school events, volunteer at the school and communicate with us about your student’s needs. School Rules: Throughout the school we have established school wide behavior expectations. You will see those posted throughout the building and in classrooms. These expectations are also detailed in the Parent/ Student Handbook. Please review those expectations with your student. Our expectation details how students can be Ready, Respectful and Responsible in all school settings. As mentioned above, we will continue our PBIS/ House program encouraging these positive behaviors. Throughout the school year, we hope to provide your student with the high-quality educational experiences that prepare them to be successful in school and beyond as global citizens. In addition, we would like HES to feellike “home” for our staff, students, and families. We will be planning multiple opportunities to invite you in to support our school, students, and staff. I look forward to working with your students and with families this school year. Thank you for supporting our school, and we look forward to another positive and productive school year.