Dear Rocket Families, 

Welcome to Remarkable Rock Island! I am your proud principal. As I begin my eighth year, I am energized and deeply committed to making a positive difference in the lives of scholars. Our Rock Island community aims to accomplish this by setting high academic expectations for all children, while providing supportive systems to ensure the needs of scholars are met. As a proud product of 33311, I see myself in each scholar and I commit the work at Rock Island to specifically develop the promising futures of those that our “Rock” family serves daily.  

Our theme this year focuses on “The M.E.T.A.-Morphosis” of Rock Island, which will be built on the following 4 Pillars of Success and grounded in our mission and vision statement: 

1. 1. Metacognitive Knowledge
   2. Empowering Excellence
   3. Transformative Learning
   4. Academic Achievement

Mission: Rock Island Elementary School is committed to igniting a love of learning in every scholar, while giving them the capability to succeed in a diverse 21^st century world.

Vision Statement: Rock Island Elementary School aspires to be recognized as the premier destination of excellence in education, while developing innovative thinkers that will impact their community and beyond.

By setting high expectations for scholars, increasing parent involvement, and engaging the community, it is my goal to continue the progress made over the years. Rock Island is a cornerstone of the community and has had a positive impact on the lives of scholars for more than 65 years. 

Serving the community, while ensuring all scholars receive a first-class education is a priority for me. Our school provides a safe, secure, and inviting environment to all stakeholders. I find that my role as your proud principal gives me an opportunity to advance the legacy of Rock Island as a premiere school where children and families are first. Rock Island is home to the "Rockets". Rockets accelerate in an upward motion and defeat the laws of gravity to blaze into the galaxy and ultimately reach the stars. My belief is that our faculty and staff are the scientists that contribute to a successful lift off for scholars to reach their goals and dreams.

Thirteen years ago, I began my career as an administrator and I take great pride in my ability to establish positive relationships with all stakeholders, especially our scholars. My years of experience began as a classroom teacher in 1998, which led to my opportunity to serve as a behavior specialist, literacy coach and ultimately an administrator. My experiences help me make informative decisions that are in the best interest of scholars and families. 

It is my pleasure to return to my neighborhood as an educator. I am a daughter of 33311 and a proud alumna of Dillard High School, Bethune-Cookman University, and Florida Atlantic University. As a proud product of the Dillard and Rock Island community I am pleased to serve as a positive role model to scholars. My educational philosophy is grounded in the belief that every scholar can learn and succeed if they receive consistent and positive support from a village of positive mentors in their life.  

My family is deeply rooted in 33311. As a mother to two young men, that are also products of Broward County Public Schools, I make every decision with my children in mind. I have an open-door policy and I am highly visible on campus for all that visit. You will see me on campus greeting scholars, visitors, and parents. My favorite part of the day is when our scholars arrive at school. I take great pride in greeting scholars in the morning to prepare them for a positive and productive day. 

I respect the input and perspectives of all stakeholders to improve the learning experiences that our scholars receive. I look forward to opening our doors to all members of the Rock Island Family as we prepare for the 2024-2025 school year. 

I will continue to seek your participation and input in the conversations and actions needed to improve our student achievement and sustain the momentum that we made last year. I pride our school on the connections that we have with our families. We will continue to host events at our school to invite our families to learn how to help their “Rocket Scholar” at home, while we continue the traditions of our beloved Rock Island. A focus on building relationships, having an open-door policy, and providing each parent with respect will continue to be at the forefront of our vision.  

As your principal, I consider guiding scholars to achieve their ultimate level of success an honor. We will continue to believe in our school mission and our scholars. Our Rocket family will always strive to develop productive, well-rounded, and empathetic citizens for the 21^st Century. We will continue to lead our Rockets on a path to success. I hope you will walk into this school year alongside us with the same level of determination to make this upcoming year our best yet as we “Blast Off to Proficiency and Beyond!” once again. 

Yours in Education,  

Mrs. Cormic Priester 

Proud Principal of Remarkable Rock Island Elementary School