New Maplewood Middle School Principal Jerrill Adams emailed a letter Tuesday introducing himself to parents and families.
Adams replaces Jeffrey Truppo, who resigned at the end of last school year.
Here is the full text of Adams’ letter:
September 30, 2014
Greetings Parents and Families of Maplewood Middle School (MMS):
My name is Jerrill Adams and I’m extremely happy to join the staff of MMS as the new Principal. I’m very passionate about education and I look forward to partnering with you to provide our students with a rigorous, engaging, and high-quality middle school experience. As the parent of two boys ages 4 and 7, I recognize the importance of a strong home-school connection. Parents are every child’s first teacher and I believe that by working together, we can make sure your child’s social, emotional, and academic needs are met.
Before joining MMS, I served in a variety of teaching and educational leadership roles over the past 12 years, primarily with the NYC Department of Education. Some of the roles I have held include classroom teacher, literacy coach/staff developer, K-8 assistant principal, school improvement administrator, and senior network team manager for the NYCDOE central office. My academic background includes a Master of Arts in Speech Communication, a Master of Science in Childhood Education, a Bachelor of Science in Television-Radio, and a Certificate of Advance Graduate Studies in Educational Leadership and Administration.
I believe that great schools are the results of great teachers, so my primary objective will be to ensure that every student is receiving high-quality instruction from every teacher at MMS. In order to do this, I will be providing teachers with feedback on their instruction, access to professional development, and reaching out to parents for support with academic and behavioral concerns to ensure our students are prepared for college and 21st century careers.
I will be working closely with our Assistant Principals, Mr. Brown and Mr. Gold, to guarantee that all of our scholars are intellectually challenged and have access to the social and emotional support critical to students during the middle school needs. Please get involved with the Home and School Association (HSA) to ensure that your voices are heard or send me an email directly at jadams@somsd.k12.nj.us.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve your families in this role! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas you would like to share.
Sincerely,
Jerrill M. Adams
