Principal

Assistant Principal

"Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. Our requirements for world leadership, our hopes for economic growth, and the demands of citizenship itself in an era such as this all require the maximum development of every young American's capacity. The human mind is our fundamental resource."

John F. Kennedy

Karen S. Powers, Principal

Principal's Message...

Dear Parents and/or Guardians:

We did it! We are now an "A" school. As per Governor Jeb Bush's A+ Plan, our school has been awarded this distinction. Thank you for your continuous support throughout last year to make this possible. As our staff and students return to school this year, it will be with a new confidence and excitement.

The faculty and staff at Norland Elementary School join me in welcoming you to the 2006-2007 school year. Whether you are parents of a child new to our school or returning parents, we are delighted to have you with us.

As a School Improvement Zone school, our school day will continue to be extended one hour and our school year begins one week earlier and ends one week later. This provides your child with additional assistance and a jump-start on the school year. We are fortunate to be a part of this innovative program, as this has played a part in our success.

This year, we would like to continue our upward progress towards achieving our goals. Please join us by encouraging your child to do his/her best everyday by communicating any concerns you may have with the teachers, and making sure your child comes to school every day. A major emphasis will be on a reading program called Reading Plus. Although not new to our school, this year it will be on the Internet. This is an opportunity for your child to improve his/her reading fluency and comprehension skills at home. Reading Plus is specifically for students in grades two through five, and students in first grade once they are able to read on a 1.5 grade level. This program had a huge impact on the improvement of our FCAT scores last year. I urge you to encourage your child to access this from home after all home learning has been completed.

As you walk around the school, you will notice some changes. New plants have been placed in the grassy areas, along with new sod and mulch. Our Butterfly Garden is now attracting several different species of butterflies. The hallways have been widened to allow easier passage for students and to prevent them from walking on unpaved areas. The roof is still under renovation, but hopefully this will be completed in the next couple of months.

Our school continues to be a mandatory school uniform school. Your child must come to school wearing the uniform colors with their shirts tucked in and a belt. Please come to the school if you need additional information on uniforms. Every Friday this year will be "College Day" for students and staff. Your child will have the option of wearing a college or university T-shirt of his/her choice. It is important that our children believe that they are college bound, and now is the time to start thinking about it. Please support us in this endeavor. We have extremely high expectations for your child, and educating our students requires your participation.

This year the motto for the Norland Feeder Pattern Schools is CHARTING THE COURSE TO HIGHER ACHIEVEMENT. Please join us as we begin our journey to educational excellence. We are looking forward to an exciting school year. My door is always open to you to address any concerns you might have, or if you just want to talk.

Sincerely,

Karen S. Powers
Principal

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