Dear MS 419 Students & Families, 

             I hope that you all have had a wonderful summer. My name is Ms. Jean and over the past few years, I have had the privilege of getting to know many of you. My journey with MS 419 began in September 2022 when our school first opened its doors, and I had the amazing opportunity to partner with Principal Montañes and the rest of our founding faculty. From the first group of 6th graders, who will now be our first graduating class, I have been able to witness our school’s growth firsthand. As the new school year approaches ,I am excited to transition into the role of interim acting Assistant Principal for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. I initially served as the equity coordinator where I worked to support student instruction and foster a positive school culture. Last year, I played a role in launching our UFT Teacher Center, focusing on supporting our teachers to improve their practices and provide the best learning experiences for our students. 

We have been able to, collaboratively, cultivate a school where students are truly at the center. Students at 419, are given a voice in how they learn and how they want to spend their time while at our school, and as an educator, I value teaching to the whole child and embrace social emotional learning. My greatest reason for being a part of 419, is I want to continue to contribute to the story where every student is achieving their highest potential because of how we collaborate to support them socially, mentally, physically, and academically.

 

             Growing up as a Haitian- American child to proud first generation immigrants has taught me the ability to develop a strong sense of identity and pride in my heritage, foster adaptability, as I balanced and integrated diverse traditions, values, and languages. It is with this upbringing that I found a passion for working with and advocating for multilingual learners. My goal is for our students to continue to have and enhance the supportive environment needed to be successful in their own educational journeys. My core education belief aligns with our school’s vision in ensuring that every student feels safe, valued, empowered, and develops their own sense of self as they navigate their middle school years.

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             With this passion, while working alongside Principal Montañes and the administrative team, I have gained a deep understanding of our school’s values and the unique needs of our student community. The greater portion of my work so far at our school has been to develop teacher agency around practices that support our Multilingual Learner population, which makes up close to half of our student body. This has been done through various professional learning models including; faculty training, books studies and student-centered coaching. My hope is that as I transition in this new role, my continued focus will be to ensure that effective teaching practices are school-wide, interdisciplinary, and sustained to ensure student achievement. While providing support for student instruction is key, I also strongly believe in ensuring that our students are set up for success, when they depart from us and transition to high school and beyond. To support this endeavor, I have been actively involved in leading our college and career readiness initiatives. Throughout the past two years, we have hosted numerous events aligned to this including college spirit weeks, workshops with partner organizations, and hosting speakers for college and career panels. As educators, I believe we hold an immense responsibility to provide these opportunities for our students. My goal is that we will continue to expand on these initiatives to open doors for and provide them with early access to start dreaming about what they aspire to be in our society. 

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             I am eager to continue working with our amazing students, families, and staff as we continue to be BRAVE TIGERS and strive for excellence in our school community for all learners. Here’s to a fantastic school year ahead!