It is with great pride that I address you after completing my first year as Head of School of Crestview Preparatory School. Though it was a year of transition, together, and through your generosity, we have made progress on many important initiatives: designing the Thinking Lab (flexible learning space for our library and maker space), fostering a community feel and spirit through the Family Work Day and Family Carnival, and learning together at our Townhall meetings and Parent Education series.
Crestview Preparatory School has distinguished itself during its twenty-nine years by implementing the educational philosophy of founder Marge Hanna, providing an academically rigorous curriculum in an environment that respects childhood through balance in learning. To reflect this mission, and thanks to your support of the Crestview Fund, we reviewed our mathematics curriculum and implemented components of the Balanced Math Approach to ensure we were preparing all our students according to their individual learning needs. Next year, we will further differentiate instruction by introducing Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth programming for our gifted students. Further, we revamped our website to echo what the community expressed, through the parent survey, were the core values of the school: Community, Responsibility, Empathy, Sincerity, and Thinking.
As I think about this past year, I wish to reflect back to you some of my favorite memories and observations. I was able to accompany our fourth-sixth graders on their respective Outdoor Education trips to Catalina Island, Ocean Institute and Astro Camp. This time together and away from home, allowed us to bond and provided me the opportunity to see our students represent Crestview well through their exemplary behavior and thoughtful questions. You have much to be proud of as parents.
At our annual Walk-a-Thon, I witnessed our community come alive through hard work and goal setting. Parent volunteers arrived as early as 4:00 a.m. to set up and prepare the pancake breakfast. Children and their families joyful walked and ran to meet the goals they had set for laps around the track. I learned what a fitness-minded school we are, as some students and parents walked (ran) over 60 laps. Two of our kindergartens were so determined they walked over 40 laps!
After a great deal of behind the scenes work by some tenacious third and sixth graders, The Crestview Blast Off, our school newspaper, was born. It was my distinct pleasure to be interviewed for the inaugural issue by some astute student reporters. In their feature on me, Getting to Know Mrs. Baudelia, they learned that I am a mother of two and that I would love to add a Science Lab in the future. Next year, they will expand by adding a journalism class for participants that will cover how to design a newspaper layout, writing interview questions, and developing attention grabber titles and opening sentences.
Personally, I was humbled and honored to lead the incredibly talented and dedicated faculty and staff who teach at Crestview Preparatory School. Bringing these professionals together in cohorts to discuss and address issues pertinent to the school was a strong step towards building collegiality and boosting morale. These groups focused on faculty evaluation, gardening, math curriculum, and technology integration. They were reminded how passionate they each are about education and about teaching at Crestview. Through their efforts, we developed a new faculty evaluation tool, a math scope and sequence, developed lesson for gardening curriculum, and started a tech series for teachers. Next year we hope to continue this work and add character education as another area of focus. Through your support of the Annual Fund, we will be able to increase our professional development budget, in order to allow teachers to attend conferences and workshops relevant to their daily teaching. This summer several teachers are attending the Responsive Classroom training to gain strategies for creating engaging and nurturing classroom environments. Also we will look to introduce Genius Hour, a set period of time during school that provides students a choice in what they learn and explore to encourage creativity and student-driven curriculum. Teachers will beta-test this initiative with Teacher Genius Hour afterschool as a professional development option.
Next year, beyond the teaching and learning, we will focus the development of a new strategic plan to guide us for the next five years and into the future. The board has appointed a Strategic Visioning Committee to organize the process. Several focus groups will be scheduled beginning in January to obtain constituent feedback on the present and future of Crestview. In the spring, we will invite current and alumni parents and students, staff and other community members to review the goals determined by the Strategic Visioning Committee as long-term priorities and plans.
As I look forward to next year, I am grateful to lead a school that is so purposeful in its work and commitment to learning and community. I hope you join me in feeling tremendous pride about what has been accomplished this year. I invite you to help us develop a shared vision for the future of this incredible institution. Thank you all for your support and generosity.
Sincerely,
Baudelia Chavez Taylor
Head of School
Crestview Preparatory School has distinguished itself during its twenty-nine years by implementing the educational philosophy of founder Marge Hanna, providing an academically rigorous curriculum in an environment that respects childhood through balance in learning. To reflect this mission, and thanks to your support of the Crestview Fund, we reviewed our mathematics curriculum and implemented components of the Balanced Math Approach to ensure we were preparing all our students according to their individual learning needs. Next year, we will further differentiate instruction by introducing Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth programming for our gifted students. Further, we revamped our website to echo what the community expressed, through the parent survey, were the core values of the school: Community, Responsibility, Empathy, Sincerity, and Thinking.
As I think about this past year, I wish to reflect back to you some of my favorite memories and observations. I was able to accompany our fourth-sixth graders on their respective Outdoor Education trips to Catalina Island, Ocean Institute and Astro Camp. This time together and away from home, allowed us to bond and provided me the opportunity to see our students represent Crestview well through their exemplary behavior and thoughtful questions. You have much to be proud of as parents.
At our annual Walk-a-Thon, I witnessed our community come alive through hard work and goal setting. Parent volunteers arrived as early as 4:00 a.m. to set up and prepare the pancake breakfast. Children and their families joyful walked and ran to meet the goals they had set for laps around the track. I learned what a fitness-minded school we are, as some students and parents walked (ran) over 60 laps. Two of our kindergartens were so determined they walked over 40 laps!
After a great deal of behind the scenes work by some tenacious third and sixth graders, The Crestview Blast Off, our school newspaper, was born. It was my distinct pleasure to be interviewed for the inaugural issue by some astute student reporters. In their feature on me, Getting to Know Mrs. Baudelia, they learned that I am a mother of two and that I would love to add a Science Lab in the future. Next year, they will expand by adding a journalism class for participants that will cover how to design a newspaper layout, writing interview questions, and developing attention grabber titles and opening sentences.
Personally, I was humbled and honored to lead the incredibly talented and dedicated faculty and staff who teach at Crestview Preparatory School. Bringing these professionals together in cohorts to discuss and address issues pertinent to the school was a strong step towards building collegiality and boosting morale. These groups focused on faculty evaluation, gardening, math curriculum, and technology integration. They were reminded how passionate they each are about education and about teaching at Crestview. Through their efforts, we developed a new faculty evaluation tool, a math scope and sequence, developed lesson for gardening curriculum, and started a tech series for teachers. Next year we hope to continue this work and add character education as another area of focus. Through your support of the Annual Fund, we will be able to increase our professional development budget, in order to allow teachers to attend conferences and workshops relevant to their daily teaching. This summer several teachers are attending the Responsive Classroom training to gain strategies for creating engaging and nurturing classroom environments. Also we will look to introduce Genius Hour, a set period of time during school that provides students a choice in what they learn and explore to encourage creativity and student-driven curriculum. Teachers will beta-test this initiative with Teacher Genius Hour afterschool as a professional development option.
Next year, beyond the teaching and learning, we will focus the development of a new strategic plan to guide us for the next five years and into the future. The board has appointed a Strategic Visioning Committee to organize the process. Several focus groups will be scheduled beginning in January to obtain constituent feedback on the present and future of Crestview. In the spring, we will invite current and alumni parents and students, staff and other community members to review the goals determined by the Strategic Visioning Committee as long-term priorities and plans.
As I look forward to next year, I am grateful to lead a school that is so purposeful in its work and commitment to learning and community. I hope you join me in feeling tremendous pride about what has been accomplished this year. I invite you to help us develop a shared vision for the future of this incredible institution. Thank you all for your support and generosity.
Sincerely,
Baudelia Chavez Taylor
Head of School
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