Dear Palisades Park Families,

Welcome to Palisades Park Elementary School!  We are located in southwest Charlotte near Lake Wylie. Our attendance area includes many large neighborhoods, including River Pointe, the Palisades, Waterlyn, Sterling-Steele Creek, Bexley, McDowell Place, River Oaks, Royal Oaks and Montreaux.

The focus of Palisades Park Elementary is on engineering design, including resources, personnel and special projects that enrich the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Our building has many unique features, such as Fiberglas coverings so that students can observe the inner workings of the building's infrastructure, such as the heating/cooling system, data closet and water fountains. It's only one example of the way the engineering design process is embedded in the culture and curriculum of the school. Our program provides students with hands-on, problem-solving, creative and engaging experiences that encourage students to consider becoming scientists, engineers and technicians.

Since opening in 2014, we have met or exceeded the state's expectations for academic growth. We provide a supportive and nurturing climate with high expectations. We challenge students to develop critical thinking skills and we prepare them to be productive and successful members of society. The vision of Palisades Park Elementary is to educate all students using the collaborative engineering-design process so they have the personal, social and academic skills needed for the future. We provide technology-rich experiences in math, science and engineering design to enrich the academic abilities of our students, while planting seeds of interest that encourage exciting and rewarding STEM career paths.

Our school recognizes academic achievement and citizenship through the National Elementary Honor Society and Student Council.  In order to enrich students' interest in STEM, we have a garden where students are learning gardening skills and testing fertilization and pollination. Students can also participate in Chess Club, Chorus, Math-A-Pa-Looza, CyberKids Robotics and Destination Imagination, which won a gold medal in this year's global competition.

I invite you to participate in our school community as often as you can. Please remember to register as a CMS volunteer. All volunteers must register each year and select Palisades Park as the site. Please also remember to bring your ID to sign in upon entering the school as we are working diligently to keep our school safe.

Finally, I would like to tell you a little about me. I have worked in CMS for 25 years as an elementary teacher and administrator. I earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from UNC Charlotte. After teaching for five years, I was awarded the NC Principal Fellows scholarship and returned to UNC Charlotte for graduate school, earning a master's degree in school administration and credentials as a curriculum and instruction specialist credentials. I have served in the role of principal for the past 14 years, and enjoy working with teachers, students and families to transform learning.

As a principal, I am committed to providing the best education possible to each of our students and I believe that every child can succeed in school. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. I can be reached at 980-343-9895 or philip.steffes@cms.k12.nc.us.   I look forward to working with you to ensure that Palisades Park continues to offer a challenging, effective educational experience in a safe, happy atmosphere. Thank you for choosing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Palisades Park Elementary.

Philip Steffes, Principal