From Courtney Harrell

Hearts Before Minds; Vision to Result

First, let me express my gratitude and excitement to serve the Lewis-Palmer community! I am humbled to work with experienced and well-educated staff, grateful to partner with invested and involved families, and thrilled to empower each of our students.

As I begin serving Lewis-Palmer Middle School, I appreciate the importance of connecting with our young adolescent students first in their hearts and then in their minds. It is our positive and authentic daily interactions that make the true difference in empowering students toward their bright futures.  Each day our teachers and staff greet our students with a smile, wave, fistbump, or handshake. Each day our students trust us with their questions, answers, needs, and emotions. 

It is the personal relationship we build with our students that underlies true excellence in middle level education. At LPMS, we enjoy and take pride in our students’ grade level achievement. Spring of 2023* state test results demonstrated 83% of our students at or above grade level in math and English language arts. Our next goal is to increase student growth. 

Our vision for the 2024-2025 school year is Rise to the Challenge.  Students will be challenged beginning on the first day of school.

Our plan for the 2024-2025 school year is to capitalize on strategic lesson planning, reflection on student formative assessments, and collaboration with one another to grow the math, ELA, and science skills of our students.  Our students are achieving grade level and we as educators must rise to the next level in order to meet our students where they are academically and grow their understanding and skills ever further. 

The culture of LPMS is built on skilled staff partnering with family support and involvement. The emphasis on student readiness for high school and lifelong success is evident in the partnership between staff and families and demonstrated by student success. As the principal, I commit to continue and add value to this legacy of connecting with our students' hearts in order to inspire their powerful and promising minds.

*Preliminary state assessment results for the 2023-2024 school year will be released in September of 2024 by CDE.