Dear City Schools Educators and Staff,
City Schools hopes this message finds you well and rejuvenated. On behalf of City Schools, welcome to School Year 2024-25! Thank you for being part of the City Schools team and we hope you had an amazing first day back!
The start of a new school year is always filled with excitement and possibility. We are looking forward to what we will accomplish together over the next 10 months as we continue our work and trajectory towards success. With a holistic approach to student wellness and by cultivating a culture that supports both social/emotional well-being and academic growth, you help build an environment where our children and young people learn and grow, enhance skills, acquire new knowledge, and thrive. Because you show up for our children, they show up for you – as evidenced in our reduction in chronic absenteeism, increased STAR ratings on the Maryland Report Card, outstanding Kindergarten Readiness Assessment results and increases in graduation rate.
This year our collective efforts to accelerate academic achievement and social-emotional growth will be guided by our new strategic plan, Portrait of a Graduate. The Portrait of a Graduate maps the course to ensure students develop the interpersonal skills and abilities needed to enter higher education, have a family-sustaining career, and achieve their dreams. Your work this year will help build the core competencies that will define our scholars: confident, effective communicators, responsible and global citizens, adaptable and flexible, and creative and innovative thinkers. Through collaboration, disciplined focus, and agile adaptation, we will continue to grow our young people and prepare them for success in college, career, and life.
We are here for the long haul and our impact is generational. Working alongside our outstanding staff and amazing students and school communities has not only been a privilege, it has also been the crown jewel of the collective City Schools’ professional experience. Together, we are dismantling systemic barriers and addressing the specific challenges of urban education, and we are honored to share this journey with you. Thank you for being champions for our children, our City and our future.
Welcome to School Year 2024-25!🎉