How time flies! It seems like just yesterday that we were welcoming our new families to Skinner and planning an exciting year for our returning Superstars. It truly has been another marvelous year of academic growth and achievement, positive extracurricular activities and successful fundraising.

We wish to congratulate our eighth grade graduates and wish them much success in their prospective high schools. We also salute our 23 sixth graders who are moving on to Academic Centers . Both our sixth and eighth graders have worked diligently while here at Skinner and are prepared for the next stage of  learning and development.

Although bittersweet, we wish our retirees - Cheryl Pope, Elijah Epps, Mark Glasper and Charles Harris many years of blissful, healthy and enjoyable activities.We also wish our sixth grade teacher, Laura Sethi and our wonderful parent, Kathy Ash and family, all the best as they move on to different cities to create new dreams and serve others. I also wish to thank our outgoing Local School Council members Seamus Glynn, Noelene Cortes-Caston, Kathy Ash and Michael Halleron for their service, dedication and leadership on the LSC.

I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for supporting our Superstars through volunteering, fundraising, monitoring homework/projects and attending family fun nights, assembly programs, concerts, sports activities, parent conferences , LSC committee meetings and supporting the Star Program and the State Farm Grant. The success of any school is dependent on how well the teachers, administration, parents, students and community members work together to achieve targeted goals. The positive energy, commitment and enthusiasm that we witnessed this year are just a few of the attributes that make Skinner such a special school.

As many of you know, we will embark on a much anticipated longer school day next year. Our school hours will be 8:30 to 3:30 which include additional time for all subjects, a period each week for social and emotional development, acceleration and intervention periods and a bonafide recess break during the school day ! We are also looking forward to beginning the implementation of Common Core Standards in our curriculum next year.

I proudly acknowledge the work and effort of the members of our Communications Committee - Latoya Price-Childs, Linda King and Kisha Young  for helping to make this weekly newsletter possible.They are the worker bees that keep you abreast of all that is happening at Skinner. Special thanks also to Gaute Grindheim and Nilufar Rezai for helping us to revamp our Skinner website this school year.

You are each amazing and have played a collective role in helping to make our Superstars successful this school year. I am deeply grateful for each and every one of you.

Wishing you a fantastic , relaxing and fun-filled summer with our Superstars !

Your grateful and proud principal,