November 30, 2024

Dear Team, Students, Families, and Community Partners,

As we prepare to come back together after Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for and the incredible community we’ve built at Thirteenth Avenue School.

This week, CBS highlighted how we transformed our school building into a space that reflects our children’s brilliance. Our children deserve a school building worthy of their potential, and together, we made it happen. But Thirteenth Avenue School is about so much more than just the building—it’s about the people inside.

Gratitude for Our Staff

To my amazing team, your dedication inspires me every day. During the renovations, you adapted with resilience, moving classrooms and making adjustments, all while continuing to pour into our students. You teach not just academics, but values—Panther Pride, respect, responsibility, courage, and dreaming big. You are the reason our students believe in themselves and in the future they can create.

Gratitude for Our Students

To our students, you are the heart of Thirteenth Avenue School. Each day, you recite our core beliefs:

I am respectful.

I am responsible.

I am productive.

I am courageous.

I Dream Big.

You don’t just say these words—you live them. Whether it’s through excelling in athletics, winning awards in debate, or leading through student council, you show us every day what it means to be the Pride of Newark.

Gratitude for Our Families and Community

To our families and community partners, thank you for your unwavering support. This work is not easy, but your partnership strengthens us and reminds us why this mission is so important.

Our alumni show us what is possible. From Councilman Kelly to RLS Media Solutions Founder Richard L. Smith, the students who walked these halls have gone on to lead, innovate, and transform our city. The future leaders of Newark are sitting in our classrooms right now.

Looking Ahead with Purpose

As we move forward, let us remember that this work is about our children and their futures. It is hard, but it is worth it. We already have what we need to turn this school around: talented educators, resilient students, committed families, and a supportive community. Together, we are shaping the future, and the best is yet to come.

I am thankful for all of you who have joined me in this mission. Let’s keep building, growing, and dreaming big—for our students, for our school, and for Newark.

With Gratitude and Panther Pride,

Thalia Brownridge-Smith

Principal

Thirteenth Avenue School

The Pride of Newark