Principal's Message

 

It is an honor to serve the White Oak community as Principal for the 24-25 school year.  White Oak Elementary is a small, neighborhood school with a family feel.   White Oak started as a one-room schoolhouse in the early 1900’s.  There has been a long history of community support for our school that continues to this day.  We are proud of the supportive relationships White Oak has with leaders from the City of Sugar Hill and many nonprofit organizations in the community.  These partnerships provide unique opportunities for the students and families that call White Oak home. 

At White Oak Elementary, our mission is to facilitate a safe and supportive environment where excellence in learning for all children results in students who are thinkers, learners and leaders. This year we will focus on three critical areas from Our Blueprint for the Future as we strive to help each and every student reach their full potential.  

1. Empathy: 1.B Staff and Student Well-Being - We will provide opportunities during the instructional day focused on intentional, well-established enrichment (Clubs for All, Joyful Learning, and STEM). We will continue to build capacity to support school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), SEL competencies through Character Strong, an attendance campaign, and our school counseling program. Students will learn about the impact of our standards in our community through strategic partnerships with the City of Sugar Hill and Lanier Cluster.

2. Equity: 2.A - Multi-tiered System of Supports - We will provide instruction, screening and intervention for all students that includes targeted small groups, grade-level curriculum, and ongoing formative assessments. Student learning is supported during weekly collaborative learning team (CLT) planning, where teachers unfold district curriculum and instructional resources, create instructional frameworks, and analyze and disaggregate data.

3. Equity: 2.B - Opportunity and Access - We will continue our robust STEM instruction that includes quarterly project-based learning opportunities centered around the schoolwide driving question, “How can our school garden help us learn about the world around us while connecting with our community?” We will increase enrichment opportunities through Clubs for All, Peer Leaders, 3D design and printing, robotics, broadcast, and video production. Our White Oak Parent Liaison will focus on family engagement with the goal of building the capacity of parents/family members to support student success.

4. Goal 4.A – Preferred education destination - We will provide a rigorous academic program that meets students’ individual learning needs.  We will provide opportunities during the instructional day focused on intentional, well-established enrichment (Clubs for All, Joyful Learning, and STEM). We will continue to build capacity to support school-wide positive behavior interventions and support (PBIS), SEL competencies through Character Strong, coupled with robust professional learning and resources for staff, students, and families. Students will learn about the impact of our standards in our community through strategic partnerships with the City of Sugar Hill and Lanier Cluster coupled with robust professional learning and resources for staff, students, and families.

As principal of White Oak Elementary, I’m excited to help students LEARN what it takes to be productive and successful members of society, LEAD others with compassion and empathy, and SUCCEED in whatever future endeavors they choose to pursue.

Thank you for choosing White Oak Elementary.  We are proud to be a part of the Lanier Cluster and Sugar Hill, Georgia!

Sincerely,

Stacey Pickett