June Newsletter

Message From the Principal

Dear Jaguar Families,

As the school year winds down, we want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible memories we’ve built together and share some major, bittersweet administrative updates for our school community.

At the end of this month, our leadership team will be transitioning into exciting new chapters for the 2026–2027 school year:

Mrs. Aleta Smoot will be moving into a district leadership position as a Director.

Mrs. Michelle Strickler will be pursuing her next adventure in education as the new Principal of Cedar Wood Elementary.

With these changes, we are absolutely thrilled to share the Mrs. Ally Nichol (former SFE Math Coach) will be the returning to Silver Firs as the incoming Principal! We know you will give Mrs. Nichol a warm Jaguar welcome as she takes the helm to lead our wonderful school forward.

Leaving this incredible daily community is truly bittersweet for me. It has been an absolute privilege to partner with you and watch your children grow, learn, and thrive. Whether we were chatting at school events, working through challenges together, or celebrating academic milestones, your unwavering support, trust, and passion have made my time here deeply rewarding.

Our students bring joy, curiosity, and resilience to our hallways every single day. Thank you for entrusting them to us and for being such a vital part of our school family.

Celebrating Our Retirees 💐

With the end of the year also comes the time to say a heartfelt goodbye to two remarkable educators who are retiring after dedicating their hearts to our district:

Laura Gray: Our beloved 1st-grade teacher is officially retiring! Laura has been a foundational pillar of warmth and learning at Silver Firs, and her incredible impact on our youngest learners will be felt for generations.

Michelle Coburn: Is also officially retiring! Michelle has given so many dedicated years of selfless service to our district. She has poured her heart into our community, and we are profoundly grateful for the deep, lasting impact she has made on the lives of countless students and families throughout her beautiful career.

Please join us in wishing both Laura and Michelle the absolute best in their next well-deserved chapters!

Welcoming & Transitioning Staff for 2026–2027 🏫

We are also excited to announce some wonderful new additions and classroom adjustments to our Silver Firs family for the upcoming school year:

Helena Gleason is joining us as our new 0.2 Resource Room teacher.

Savannah Cronauer is officially joining the SFE family as our new 2nd-grade teacher.

Jiso Chong will be joining us as our 0.5 ML (Multilingual Learner) Coach.

Mrs. Lauren Fortney will be transitioning into an exciting new role, teaching a 3/4 split class next year.

We know this incredible team will continue to make Silver Firs a place where every student thrives.

As you head into the summer, we wish you all a season filled with rest, laughter, and quality time together. Please encourage your children to read, explore, and—most importantly—have fun!

Thank you for an amazing year and for making our time at Silver Firs so incredibly special. We have no doubt that our Jaguars will continue to achieve great things in the years to come under Mrs. Nichol's leadership.

With deepest gratitude,

Mrs. Aleta Smoot & Mrs. Michelle Strickler

Silver Firs Elementary Administration