Student school hours:7:45a.m.-1:55p.m.

Teacher hours: 7:15 a.m.-2:45 p.m.

Office hours: 7:15 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

School Profile

Our school is named after the first African American explorer to reach the North Pole successfully. He accomplished this feat in 1909, nearly 100 years ago.  The school was built and opened in September 1969. 

Mission Statement

The Staff at Matthew Henson Elementary School believes that all students can achieve academic success through proficiency in basic skills and the development of creative and critical thinking skills as applied to their environment.  We believe that our school's purpose is to educate with high expectations and promote a positive self-image.  We work with parents and community business partners in order to prepare all students so they can function successfully in a complex and ever changing society.

Philosophy

The primary purpose of the Matthew Henson Elementary School Staff is to provide a need-meeting environment for children.  The Staff views the children as a valuable, worthy individual who is capable and anxious to learn.  It realizes that all children will not learn at the same rate, nor in the same way; however, regardless of individual strengths and weaknesses, provisions can be made so that each child will meet with success.

We look to our parents to maintain a home atmosphere, which encourages the learner's intellectual, social and emotional development, and provide for their physical health and safety.

As a faculty, we believe that children should be analyzed as individuals when planning and implementing programs.  It is then our responsibility to provide well planned instruction, in a stimulating setting that will motivate the students.

These tasks require continuous evolution of the learner's progress, program suitability, and teacher effectiveness.  When there are indications that a child needs the services of additional resources, teachers should be knowledgeable of both the services, which are available and the procedure for obtaining them.  It is also important to share this information with parents and other staff members who work with the students.

As an elementary school, our focus is on basic skills and their application to real life situations.  By using different modalities, instruction can be made stimulating, since it builds our perceptual strengths.  The instructional program should provide a balance and flexible curriculum that allows the gifted child, as well as the slow learner, opportunities to be involved in appropriate activities.  We see the evaluation of curriculum and materials as an on going process to insure their relevancy to the needs and abilities of our school population.

To aid in the fulfillment of our objectives, it is important for all staff members to set a positive example socially and academically during the course of each school day.  A school atmosphere that is conducive to learning relies not only on expertise, but open effective communication between staff, parents and students.  It also encourages self-discipline in its students to maintain acceptable standards of behavior.  As the staff helps the child to grow, it must also assume the responsibility for its own professional growth.

If children are to function in society when they leave the educational system, the school's role in their total development must be defined and understood by all of the individuals who interact in our school setting.