Our School » Principal's Welcome

Principal's Welcome

Welcome to Ridge Wood Elementary!

 
Dear Ridge Wood Community,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to our school. You will quickly find that we have an amazing community of students, staff, teachers, and parents. Though we all come from different backgrounds and experiences, we are united in our desire to nurture our students’ social, emotional, and academic needs.
 
Ridge Wood is a Steven Covey, The Leader in Me school. The Leader in Me is a dynamic framework built on the premise that every child is endowed with the ability to be a leader. In this light, we give our students opportunities to create goals for themselves and monitor their progress over time. By empowering our students to take ownership over their own success, we are creating 21st century leaders who will compete on a global stage.
 
Ridge Wood was recognized as the 9th Leader in Me Lighthouse School in Michigan in 2016. This means that our staff underwent a rigorous multi-year training regimen, worked alongside students and families to implement each of the components of the framework, and were found by FranklinCovey to have implemented the core components with fidelity. We are honored to have received the Lighthouse School of Academic Distinction Award every year since 2017. We are excited to continue to grow and cultivate our leaders.

We believe in differentiating our students’ academic needs. Knowing that education is not a “one size fits all” approach, our staff members work hard to meet students where they are and guide them towards their potential. We also endorse a restorative practice philosophy. We know that students will make mistakes from time to time, and we work to hold them accountable in a meaningful (rather than punitive) way.

Our weekly newsletter is entitled, The Rocket Review. Please carve out the time to read it each week.  It's filled with Ridge Wood happenings, as well as information about how you can volunteer to help. We are glad to have you as a part of our Ridge Wood Family!

Respectfully,

Amy Terry, Principal