Dear Hamilton Families,
I am excited to welcome you all back for the 2022-2023 school year. Last October, when I became the principal of Hamilton, I noticed there were some problems at the school as well as some incredible strengths. I like to call the 2021-2022 school year “Year Zero”. I use the term Year Zero because that was the year I was able to observe how the school works, what the problems are, I was able to talk with parents and families, teachers and staff members, students and community members, to begin to identify problems and brainstorm ways to make improvements. From those meetings and interactions, and with help from our leadership teams, we were able to develop a long term plan to improve Hamilton.
If last year was Year Zero, this year is Year One. We broke down our long term plan into year long chunks. In Year One, we are working to improve our school culture by strengthening our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), our Attendance Team is working to improve our rate of chronic absenteeism, our MTSS Team is working to support students who are struggling academically or behaviorally with targeted and intensive individualized interventions. We are also creating a School Leadership Team (SLT), composed of parents, staff, administrators, and community members. This team will help me make decisions about our school in alignment with our mission, vision and our long term plan of improvement.
I am also excited to announce that our parents are forming a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) to support our school. If you are interested in volunteering for the PTO, please ask in the office and we will connect you with our Acting PTO President, Sorritta Williams.
I invite you to join me on the first Wednesday of each month for Coffee with the Principal. We meet from 8:30 - 9:30 am in the library and discuss different topics related to the school each month. This is a time for your voice to be heard and for you to learn about what is happening at Hamilton and upcoming events.
Many of our expectations have changed this year and it is important that you and your child read and understand the Parent and Family Handbook. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call the front office or stop by and see us. We look forward to partnering with families and the community to make our school a great place to learn and grow.
Sincerely,
Amy Spencer
Principal, Arthur M. Hamilton Elementary School
