Our Principal
Welcome to the 2026-2027 School Year! A message from Dr. Grant, Principal…
Dear Mustang Community,
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! I hope you and your family have enjoyed a safe, relaxing, and memorable summer. We are excited to welcome you back for another year of growth, achievement, and partnership at James Ryder Randall Elementary School.
First, thank you to our families for helping us select this year's school theme! Your voices mattered, and together we chose:
Randall Redesigned: Rising Together, Achieving More
#RandallRedesigned
This theme reminds us that when we work together, as scholars, families, staff, and community, we create the conditions for every scholar to achieve more.
As we begin the school year, our work will center on three instructional priorities:
Our three key focus areas for the 2026-2027 school year are:
- Reading: Strengthen foundational literacy skills by developing phonological awareness, phonics, reading comprehension, and writing about reading through targeted small group instruction.
- Mathematics: Build mathematical fluency, number sense, and a positive mathematical mindset through flexible, data driven instruction.
- Every Scholar: Provide high quality instruction and daily targeted small group support to accelerate learning, with a continued focus on supporting our diverse learners.
Our home and school connection is imperative to your scholar’s success. We cannot do this work alone, and we invite you to partner with us throughout the year. Please join us for our family events, workshops, and celebrations because these opportunities are designed for you and your family.
You can support your scholar’s success by:
- Prioritize daily attendance and limit tardiness
- Keep track of the days your scholar is absent from school
- Check Synergy Parent Portal weekly to monitor grades
- Download and check the ClassDojo app daily for school communication
- Stay in touch with your scholar’s teacher regularly
- Read with your scholar for at least 20 minutes a day
- Use iReady and other learning tools consistently at home
We are excited to Rise Together this school year as we continue Redesigning Randall! We truly value your partnership and support, and we are committed to working alongside you every step of the way to ensure every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and achieve.
As we continue our journey of Redesigning Randall: Rising Together, Achieving More, we will remain focused on building strong relationships, maintaining high expectations, and creating meaningful learning experiences for all students.
Please continue to check ClassDojo regularly for important school updates, announcements, and reminders. If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out to me directly at jessica.grant@pgcps.org.
Thank you for being an important part of the James Ryder Randall Elementary School family. Together, we will continue to Rise Together and Achieve More!
Dr. Jessica Grant, NBCT
Principal