Dear Cornelius Elementary School families,
Cornelius Elementary is one of the oldest schools in the Northwest
Learning Community, dating back to the 1930s. We are steeped in
tradition and work to infuse the Cornelius culture while continuing to
be innovative and engaging with our instruction. Our PTO is a strong
supporter of our teachers, raising more than $100,000 in the past school
year. The funds are mainly used to make building improvements, fund
teacher grants, buy supplies and books for the classroom and support
technology requests.
Cornelius Elementary serves a diverse population. Currently we have
students from more than 10 countries. Our students speak 16 languages in
addition to English. Various school clubs are offered including
unicycle, art, Student Council, Mad Science, golf, chess, robotics and
drama for grades three through five. Innovation Lab, chorus and
recorder, Girls on the Run and Crazy Running are offered for all grades.
We offer quarterly electives for students in grades three through
five, in addition to our specials and clubs.
Our mission is to inspire students to reach full potential as lifelong
learners through a variety of learning experiences, where responsibility
for teaching and learning is respectfully shared among students,
parents, staff and community. Our vision states that Cornelius
Elementary School will be a collaborative community of excellence which
fosters creative, self-directed, lifelong learners and community
contributors. We strive to provide consistency for our staff and
students and hire quality teachers. On an annual survey, 88 percent of
our teachers reported that school leaders promote a safe and productive
learning environment in our school.
Let me tell you a little about myself. I have had the privilege of
working in CMS for the past 21 years and it is an honor to serve as the
principal of Cornelius Elementary. I graduated from Radford University
in Virginia with a degree in early childhood education. I began my
teaching career at Newell Elementary in 1997, teaching second and third
grades for 13 years. I earned my master's degree in school
administration/curriculum and supervision from UNC Charlotte in 2010.
From 2010 to 2013, I worked at Montclaire Elementary, serving as the
dean of students and assistant principal. In September 2013, I became
the principal at Cornelius Elementary. I enjoy spending time with my
family and friends. I am an avid Carolina Panthers fan and love to
travel to any beach when possible. At Cornelius, we strive to create an
inviting and inclusive community where all students can succeed. We
are focused on individualized instruction in order for all students to
achieve full potential. We understand there is no one way to learn and
we provide differentiated instruction and a flexible teaching approach
that adapts the curriculum and teaching strategies to individual
learning need.
Thank you for choosing CMS and Cornelius Elementary!
Jessica Holbrook, principal
