Dear Coconut Palm Families, Friends and Community,

Welcome back!

I am so excited to begin a new journey together with you as Principal of Coconut Palm Elementary, home of the Parrots! What an honor to join and serve our great faculty, staff, and students. Prepared to bring high quality instruction to ALL students in a safe, secured, and inclusive learning environment. The South Region, in the Everglades Zone is known for its dedication to excellence, but more importantly, to children. Over the past 33 years, I have held many positions in this district: custodian, teacher assistant, teacher, coach, and administrator, but I consider my most important job to be that of a child advocate. I will spend a lot of time with your children, getting to know their personalities, learning styles and interests. I plan to celebrate successes, small and large. I will also encourage them every day and let them know they are valued and have a special place in our school and community.

Our new Assistant Principal Nizaliz Coley and I stand ready to embark on this new journey with your children and look forward to the work we will do together. As the old African Proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” We are excited to see your children through your eyes. I cannot wait to share with you the remarkable things they will do throughout their days here at Coconut Palm. And of course, I will be here to collaborate with you should they need any help navigating any aspect of the school day.

Our faculty and staff are highly qualified and committed to serving ALL students and families. Our school's vision for the 2024 – 2025 school year is clear: “Deliver a high-quality instruction to ALL students, centered around the B.E.S.T. Standards in every classroom, every day. As well as providing a safe and inclusive classroom culture that is conducive to student success.” This is what is expected of everyone at CPE! We are all committed to this goal and look forward to celebrating our successes with you. 

Healthy children learn best! As such, my goal is to ensure that all children are healthy, happy, safe, and ready to learn. Achievement gaps created by the pandemic three years ago are being closed each year, thus preparing our students to succeed at their next grade level. As Principal, I am proud of the academic successes we have had over the last two years, and I feel confident in my ability to lead us into becoming an A rated school. I trust in the trainings and experiences I have gained in Broward County Public Schools, which attribute to the successes I have had in the district. However, my greatest achievement comes not professionally, but personally, as I am a proud husband and father of three beautiful children, including one with unique special needs. People would often say that I treat all children as if they were my own. Please know that I will work tirelessly to ensure all your children have the best possible experiences at Coconut Palm as well.

Close collaboration between school and home is essential for the success of our students. We encourage parents to review the information provided in our school’s website, and teacher communication apps to gain familiarity of school policies, procedures and services that are available at our school. We also encourage our parents to visit our school and attend scheduled meetings. Mutual benefits build when there is meaningful exchange of information between home and school. PTA, School Advisory Council and School Advisory Forum are always actively looking for parent participants. I urge you to join and support PTA in whatever manner your schedule allows. Your child will benefit. 

Once again, I am so thankful to have another opportunity to bring all my experiences to this wonderful community. I look forward to getting to know each of you and your children. I will be working most days this summer. Please feel free to stop by to say hello anytime. I have an open-door policy. 

I look forward to meeting you soon.

Warm Regards,

Juan Alejo, M.A.Ed.

Coconut Palm Principal