Welcome

August, 2010

Dear Sankofa Academy Families,

I hope that you are having a restful and rejuvenating summer. As the upcoming school year gets underway, I am reminded of an African proverb made famous in a book by Hillary Clinton. This proverb "it takes an entire village to raise a child" seems fitting when I consider the accomplishments achieved and those to come! Your commitment to your child’s education past and present are good examples of what is required of that village to achieve success. Therefore, one of the goals of this school year is to help build and support an even stronger village by relying on you the families who are our most important partners to ensure a quality education for every student!

As the Principal, I am thrilled to be a part of a school community where family members are visible and actively engaged, as well as an integral component of Sankofa Academy. The Founding Principal, Danielle Neves, has left a legacy of rigor, care, and resiliency. I am honored and privileged to lead a dynamic community where teachers and staff cultivate an environment where students achieve and believe in themselves and their school. As mentioned previously, your input, feedback, and support will be critical to my leadership, the teaching and learning environment and above all to the success of your child in our school. Together let's honor our school's history!

My excitement comes from working with young people and their families. I have spent 17 years being energized by my students, colleagues, and staff. I taught for ten years and have been in administration for seven years. I am originally from Boston, Massachusetts and being a founding teacher of one of Boston's first Small Pilot Schools- Sankofa Academy is a kindred spirit and our school community has made me feel so at home. With that said, I am elated to announce that we have a wonderful addition to our 'village.' We will be adding three new Special Day Classes (SDC) from the department of Program for Exceptional Children (PEC) to our school community. We will have one Pre-Kindergarten, and two Kindergarten-Second grade classes of children with Autism Spectrum joining us in the fall. Let's make sure as we expand, that we welcome and embrace our new students and families to Sankofa Academy. Caring connections equals community!

With our school's aim of having a greater emphasis on improving academic outcomes and high student achievement school-wide, Sankofa Academy will continue to incorporate the core values of the school: Respectful Individuals, Responsible Leaders, and Reflective Achievers. Using these as our guiding principles, each child will be encouraged and supported in working to his/her full potential academically, socially, and emotionally.

In order to achieve these things, I have included several ways that family members of our school community can work together with Sankofa staff:

• Send your child to school every day on time.
• Make sure your child gets eight hours sleep each night.
• Establish a routine for studying. Give your child a quiet corner to read and regular time to do homework.
• Keep in touch with your child's teacher via e-mail, telephone, notes, or letters
• Attend school-wide events, classroom events, and conferences
• Celebrate your child's success (giving verbal praise), no matter how small it may seem. This will keep your child enthusiastic about learning and proud of their work.

Remember it does take a village to raise a child; and I add it takes a very special school like the Sankofa Academy to educate them. Please know that I welcome your participation, support, and efforts as they are greatly valued and appreciated. We are in this together! Wishing you a wonderful upcoming year of success! I look forward to seeing you bright and early for our first day of school, Monday, August 30th!

Sincerely,

Monique F. Brinson,
Principal