Principal's Message 2026

A Message from the Principal

GUIDED BY OUR NORTH STAR

2026-2027

* Welcome * 

Greetings, and welcome to Veva Blunt Elementary School—home of the ROCKETS! Whether you are joining our school community for the first time or have called Veva Blunt home for many years, I am grateful that you are here. As principal, I have the extraordinary privilege of serving alongside an incredible team of educators, staff members, students, families, and community partners who share a common purpose: helping every child learn, grow, belong, and succeed. At Veva Blunt, we believe that education is a journey we take together. None of us walks the trail alone. We learn together. We grow together. We celebrate together. When the path becomes challenging, we support one another, adjust our course, and keep moving forward. Along the way, we carry the light for one another, use the tools we have developed as educators and learners, and keep our eyes lifted toward the summit ahead. Most importantly, we remain focused on our work and our motto for 2026: Guided by Our North Star: Every Student. Every Day. That commitment belongs to all of us.

*Guided by Our North Star *

Every journey needs a clear sense of direction. For the 2026–2027 school year, our theme is Guided by Our North Star. Our North Star represents the purpose that remains constant even when the trail changes:

Every Student. Every Day.

It means that we begin with students at the center of our decisions. It means knowing our students—not only their assessment scores or academic needs, but their strengths, interests, experiences, challenges, hopes, and potential. It means creating classrooms and a school community where children are known, welcomed, supported, challenged, and inspired to grow. And it means recognizing that no two students travel exactly the same trail. Some children may need additional support along the way. Some may need another opportunity to practice. Some may need a different strategy or tool. Others may be ready for greater challenge, enrichment, leadership, or an opportunity to move farther ahead. Our destination is student success. The paths we take to help students reach it may be different. That is why keeping our eyes on our North Star matters.

* Our Crew & Our Basecamp * 

A successful journey requires preparation—and it requires a strong crew. At Veva Blunt, our staff is our S.T.A.R. Crew, grounded in the values we teach our students every day:

S — Self-Control

T — Teamwork

A — Accountability

R — Respect

These values guide how we treat one another, how we approach challenges, and how we contribute to our school community.

Our work begins even before students arrive for the first day of school. Each year, members of our Guiding Coalition—teacher leaders representing grade levels, programs, and departments across our campus—gather at what we call Basecamp. Basecamp is where we prepare for the journey ahead. Together, our teacher leaders examine student needs and schoolwide data, strengthen our Professional Learning Community work, study instructional practices, plan for student supports and extensions, identify priorities, and help prepare our staff with the tools we will need for the year ahead. Our Guiding Coalition helps connect the work happening in individual classrooms and collaborative teams to the larger mission of our school.

But Basecamp is only where the journey begins.

The real work happens every day—in classrooms and collaborative teams, on the playground, in intervention and enrichment groups, in our office, during conversations with families, and in thousands of seemingly small interactions between students and the adults who care for them.

Every member of our S.T.A.R. Crew has a role.

Every member carries part of the load.

And sometimes, we carry the light for one another.

* Every Student Has a Path * 

One of our most important responsibilities is recognizing that fair does not always mean everyone receives exactly the same thing. Students come to us with different strengths, experiences, needs, interests, and readiness levels. Our responsibility is to understand where each student is and determine what will help that child take the next meaningful step forward. All students receive strong core instruction and opportunities to develop academically, socially, and emotionally. Some students may need additional instruction, additional time, targeted intervention, behavioral or social-emotional support, or another approach to learning. Other students may need extension, enrichment, acceleration, or new opportunities to deepen their learning. We continually ask: What does this student need next? We use relationships, observations, student work, assessments, professional expertise, family input, and multiple sources of data to help answer that question. Then we respond.

This coordinated approach is called a Multi-Tiered System of Supports, or MTSS. MTSS is not simply a program or a place students go. It is a way of organizing our people, resources, instruction, interventions, enrichment, and supports around student needs. Think of it as the collection of tools we carry for the journey. We may not use every tool for every child, and we may not use the same tool forever. Our job is to choose thoughtfully, examine whether it is working, make adjustments when necessary, and continue moving forward. Because the goal is not for every child to travel an identical trail. The goal is for every child to grow.

* Families Are Part of the Crew *

Our work cannot happen within the walls of the school alone. Families know their children in ways we never could, and your perspective, partnership, communication, and trust are essential to helping us understand and support the whole child. We invite our families to walk this trail with us. There are many ways to be involved at Veva Blunt, including:

• Attending school events and activities
• Participating in parent-teacher conferences
• Communicating regularly with teachers and staff
• Joining our parent organization
• Volunteering in classrooms and at school events
• Chaperoning field trips
• Participating in family learning opportunities
• Serving on advisory committees and leadership teams, including the English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) and School Site Council (SSC)
• Celebrating learning, practicing skills, reading, asking questions, and encouraging a growth mindset at home

Partnership does not look exactly the same for every family. What matters is that the connection between home and school remains strong. Ask us questions. Share what you know about your child. Celebrate progress with us. Reach out when something does not seem right. And allow us to celebrate alongside you when your Rocket reaches a new milestone. You are not standing beside our school community looking in. You are part of it. You are part of the crew.

* To Our Rockets *

And to our students—our Rockets:

We are so glad you are here. You are the reason we come to school each day, and you are the most important part of this journey. In preparation for this year, we ask you to do a few things:

• Be curious. Ask questions. Wonder. Explore. Learning is a lifelong journey.
• Be courageous. Try something difficult. Make mistakes. Ask for help. Then try again.
• Be part of the team. Your words and actions matter. Help others. Include others. Carry the light when someone else needs it.
• Celebrate growth. Be proud of the big accomplishments—but notice the small steps, too. Small steps move us up mountains.
• Believe in yourself. You are capable of learning, changing, improving, and accomplishing extraordinary things.

And remember: you do not have to know the entire trail before taking the next step.

There are people all around you who are ready to help.

* The Journey Ahead *

Our goal at Veva Blunt is larger than preparing students for the next test, the next report card, or even the next grade level. We are preparing children for their future. We want our Rockets to leave us as confident learners, compassionate people, thoughtful problem-solvers, responsible community members, and young people who understand that challenges can be overcome through perseverance, support, reflection, and growth. There will be steep trails ahead. There will be moments when we need to stop, examine the map, select another tool, or adjust our course. There will also be breathtaking moments when we look back and realize just how far a child—or an entire school community—has traveled. Through all of it, we will continue to work, learn, and grow together.

Students and adults.

School and families.

Teachers and colleagues.

One crew, carrying the light for one another and keeping our eyes lifted toward the summit.

Because eventually, our Rockets must do exactly what Rockets are meant to do.

Launch.

Our responsibility is to help them develop the knowledge, skills, confidence, character, and belief in themselves to be ready when that moment comes.

One student at a time.

One day at a time.

One step at a time.

Together, we will help every Rocket find their path, reach new summits, and prepare for the moment when they are ready to launch toward a successful future.

Thank you for trusting us with your children, for walking alongside us, and for being an essential part of the Veva Blunt community.

Together, we move forward—

Guided by Our North Star.
Every Student. Every Day.

Respectfully,

Abigail A. Cravins, M.A.
Principal
Veva Blunt Elementary School