Welcome Back-

It is a true pleasure to write this, my first, welcome back letter as Superintendent of the Guilford Schools. It seems like more than just a few short months that I have been here in Guilford, and often times I am almost surprised when I remember that this will be my first September in the Guilford Schools.

We have been very busy this summer preparing the schools for our students’ return. Maintenance and renovation work has been taking place throughout our district, especially at Melissa Jones Elementary School, and interviewing and hiring has been ongoing at all our schools and in the central office.

We will have new teachers joining us in almost every school. We will have two new school nurses joining us at Baldwin and at Adams. Two new computer technicians will become part of our team at the elementary and middle school levels. We are very excited to introduce Jill Hale, our new principal at Guilford Lakes Elementary School. Additionally, although we have decided to extend our search for our new director of Special Services, we have brought Dr. Lloyd Johnson onto the team as interim director to support our work as we move forward with our extended search.

With lots of new faces will come lots of new excitement and enthusiasm. The ending of this past school year saw many talented and experienced teachers and staff members moving on from Guilford, and they will be greatly missed. We have been exceptionally fortunate to have hired an outstanding group of new educators who I am confident will carry on our tradition of excellence here in the Guilford schools.

This year will also bring continued work with curriculum and instruction as we continue our implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Professional development for our teaching staff, and continued work with our leadership and curriculum teams will ensure that we make the shifts required of us thoughtfully and seamlessly. The Common Core sets forth a series of standards that only builds upon the expectations and the values that we have held in Guilford for some time.

We are ready for your children to return to our schools, and I know that they are ready to return to us. Our successes in this school district have come through the talents and through the hard work of the students who come into these schools every day. We are committed to doing our best by them everyday.

I look forward to this new year with all of you. Welcome back to school.

Paul Freeman

Superintendent of Schools