June 19, 2020
Dear LTES Community,
I hope that this letter finds each of you well during these unprecedented times. Serving as the principal of Ludlow-Taylor ES has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life, with memories and relationships I will always cherish. However, it is with a heavy heart, that I am sending this letter to inform you that I will not be returning as principal for school year 2020-2021 as I am joining the Randle Highlands Elementary School as their new instructional coach.
From the first time I walked into the school building, on the last day of the 2015-2016 school year, I was greeted with open arms and a collaborative spirit. As I reflect on my tenure at Ludlow Taylor and the work we have done together, there’s so much to be proud of, and I would like to highlight just a few of our community’s accomplishments:
- We have seen our enrollment grow from about 300 students to over 460;
- We have built an incredible playground and garden, renovated and expanded our multi-purpose room to increase student movement and promotion of healthy living;
- We added a science program, expanded our health and physical education department, implemented Writers Workshop, and most recently a whole child approach to ensure purposeful social-emotional development for every student at LTES.
I am going to miss our community events, particularly the evenings we would come together for LT Thanksgiving, Pancakes and Literacy, and International Night. I am also going to miss standing out in front of the school in the mornings and afternoons, greeting colleagues, families, and students as they walked in and out of the building – my days always started and ended with a smile when I had this time in my schedule. Mostly though, I am going to miss our incredible students. I think of a young student that every single morning would say, “Hey buddy, give me a hug” as he came into school. This group of young people has taught me more than I ever could have taught them.
Our current public health crisis and necessary school closure make this farewell even harder since we cannot say goodbye face to face. However, I look forward to supporting a smooth leadership transition for our community. As you all know, we have an incredible staff and leadership team, that will ensure Ludlow-Taylor stays on the same positive trajectory. We finished the year strong and together, even though we were apart. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for trusting me to be a part of your child’s educational journey. It has been my greatest joy as an educator.
With much appreciation,
Andrew Smith