Dear Willard Families,
Welcome to Emma Hart Willard Elementary School! My name is Timothy J. Chiaverini, I am proud to serve as principal. I am delighted to welcome you to our school community, a place where we strive to inspire and support the growth of our students in the spirit of our namesake, Emma Hart Willard.
Willard School was established in 1964. Emma Hart Willard (1787-1870) was a pioneering American educator and advocate for women's education who was born and raised here in Berlin. Emma Hart Willard was a trailblazer who championed educational reforms and worked tirelessly to expand academic opportunities for women. Her dedication and vision laid the groundwork for future generations to access education and achieve their dreams.
In the spirit of Emma Hart Willard, our team is committed to providing a clear and consistent pathway to success for all of our students. Our dedicated and talented staff serves approximately 450 students from Pre-Kindergarten through grade 5. We believe in creating a structured and respectful learning environment that focuses on both academic and social-emotional development. Our goal is to celebrate student growth in academics and citizenship, ensuring that each child reaches their highest potential as a learner and as an individual in both of these areas.
Our standards-based curriculum is delivered through rigorous and diverse learning opportunities in a nurturing environment. At Willard, students are recognized and celebrated as unique individuals. We are dedicated to developing strategic readers, flexible problem solvers, and motivated lifelong learners who can effectively collaborate, communicate, and think independently. We work daily to cultivate empathetic, respectful, and responsible citizens.
To support our mission and to provide a calm, consistent and collaborative learning environment at Willard we implement RULER curriculum to teach emotional intelligence. RULER is an approach to social and emotional learning that teaches emotional intelligence to people of all ages, with the goal of creating a healthy and compassionate society. RULER stands for Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions. By acknowledging the power of emotions, our team integrates RULER principles into the fabric of the school day, shaping how our leaders lead, our teachers teach, our students learn, and our families support their children.
We are a committed and compassionate community of problem solvers, and I am excited for the journey ahead as we work together to support our students in achieving their dreams.
Thank you for entrusting us with your children’s education. We look forward to a successful and enriching school year.
Warm regards,
Timothy J. Chiaverini
Principal
Emma Hart Willard Elementary School