Dear McMichael Students and Families:
As Principal of McMichael, it is my pleasure to be working with you in the 2023-2024 school year, in my 7th year with this learning community.
As we prepare to embark on another school year, we face new opportunities and challenges in advancing our common mission: ensure equity in learning for every student.
This year, I hope to build our community’s support for McMichael and the important work that we do. I want to show off all the exciting things happening in our school and help community members see why their children—or grandchildren, nieces and nephews, neighbors, or other children in the community—should attend.
You all play a key role in that effort. Students and Families are among the most trusted people in our school community. You are a valued source of information in our communities. You are seen as experts in our schools.
As we get ready for this school year, I invite you to join me in celebrating the great things happening in our school in your daily interactions with teachers, students, parents, and everyone in our community.
Our work is not easy, and none of us can accomplish it alone. Each person in our learning community—our teachers, parents, school counselors, education technology specialists, support staff, and the other professionals we work with—plays a critical role in helping our students succeed. And we need support in doing so. So as you are talking with community members this back-to-school season, I encourage you to let them know how exactly they can help us, such as by ensuring that their child is an active member of our learning community.
The student’s first official day back is September 5, 2023 at 9:00 am. Here at McMichael, we are a community of professionals, and I feel privileged to be a part of it. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at djohns@philasd.org.
In Solidarity,
Dr. Dollette Johns-Smith
Principal
