Ive spent a lot of time thinking about this over the last few days, and really feel like I have to speak up about my PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with Dr. Medrano. Honestly, its hard for me not seeing her at the school, and the last week has shown me how much she is needed and how very much rests on her shoulders. I met her before SLJH was even completed, when she gave me and a group of other parents a tour during the construction site. It was obvious that she was so excited to get things started- to make a great place for our children to go to school. (and yes, we got our lockers- remember!) She has shown time and again how much she cares for students. So many times its behind the scenes when she thinks no one will notice. Like it was mentioned below- she hears about a sad student who feels like she has been forgotten on her birthday and she personally goes out and decorates the students locker to make her feel special. She stands in the halls between classes and she knows our students by name. She started coming in VERY EARLY last year when she started a club for students called Twisted Stitchers. She wasnt an expert stitcher herself, but she wanted to create a place for students to feel like they belonged- so she rolled up her sleeves, rolled out the yarn and learned right along with those kids. She truly has a heart for students. Not just our students either! She has continued to encourage our school to reach out to our sister school, MDJH. Sponsoring them in our Angel Tree this last year was her idea. As a parent, I have never seen a Principal so accessible to parents. She really does have an open door policy. She gets back to you very quickly when you email her as well. I was a parent member of the Campus Advisory Team the first two years the school was open. It was nice to see what was going on with our campus from that angle. One of the things that impressed me most was the surveys sent out at the end of each year where Dr. Medrano asks for feedback for how our campus, teachers AND principals are doing. She does this because she is always looking for ways to improve both her performance and to make our school a better place. She WANTS parent involvement and goes out of her way to make parents feel comfortable when they come on to campus. I wish everyone could see how creative she is- never settling for the ordinary because she wants SLJH to be extraordinary. She is an encourager of people. She truly wants everyone to be their best selves. I know every time I have run into her- whether it be in the halls or in the front office, she always has a smile and a hug! I really hope this situation is resolved because we need our Principal back!
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 03:07:23 +0000