About Us

Mission Statement:

JAMES WARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL provides a high quality instructional program that includes a comprehensive, standard/research-based curriculum, which challenges students, utilizes effective literacy strategies, and embraces cultural diversity. These best practices, coupled with the use of differentiated instruction, aim to increase the achievement level of all students, including students with disabilities and English Language Learners (ELL), in order to promote continuous progress in an inclusive, least restrictive, and safe environment. We maintain our efforts to develop and address the social and emotional needs of our students through various school-wide initiatives and special opportunities for growth. We also strive to maintain a strong school-home-community relationship.

Vision Statement:

The JAMES WARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL believes that all children are entitled to the best possible education. We are committed to ensuring an educationally enriched environment. As a Multicultural School, we respect and embrace diversity and cultural understanding through foreign language education. All children, including students with diverse learning needs, deserve to develop their unique interest, assume responsibility for their learning and work cooperatively to reach their fullest potential and their life goals. Ward School strives to prepare all students to actively and effectively participate in the dynamic global community of the 21st century.

Karen D. Anderson
Principal

This is Ms. Anderson's 12th year as Principal of James Ward School. She has been an educator for over 33 years. Her life's journey did not immediately lead her down the path to education although she comes from a long line of educators including her mom (principal), and 3 sisters (teachers/school counselor). She studied Management Information Systems at Oral Roberts University at Tulsa, Oklahoma and upon graduation she returned to Chicago and worked as a data entry/computer programmer for 2 years where she designed corporate software for a major store chain. Although she enjoyed her computer programming career, it was not her true passion. When she realized her passion was for education, Ms. Anderson returned to school to complete a teacher certification program at Chicago State University followed by two masters in educational leadership and curriculum and instruction at Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois.

Ms. Anderson began her teaching career in 1990 at the far south side of Chicago where she taught Kindergarten, fourth grade and Reading/Social Studies resource over her six years at the school. In 1996, she joined the Ward School Family as a fourth grade teacher and then became the assistant principal in 1998. Ms. Anderson contributes much of her success as an educator to the great mentorship she has received from numerous individuals, one in particular was her first principal at Van Vlissingen, Dr. Jacqueline Carothers who motivated her to pursue educational leadership as a career. As a veteran principal of 12 years, she continues to be very committed to the students, parents, and staff at James Ward School and the mission of the Chicago Public Schools.

Contact Information:

[email protected]

Tel: (773) 534-9053

这是安德森女士担任华德小学校长的第12年。她从事教育工作超过 33 年了。尽管她来自一个她妈妈是校长以及三个姐妹（教师/学校辅导员）在内的众多教育工作者之家，但她的人生旅程并没有立即引导她走上教育之路。她在俄克拉荷马州塔尔萨的奥尔罗伯茨大学（ Oral Roberts）学习管理信息系统，毕业后她回到芝加哥，担任了两年的数据输入/计算机程序员，为一家大型连锁店设计公司软件。尽管她很喜欢自己的计算机编程职业，但这并不是她真正的爱好所在。当她意识到自己对教育充满热情时，安德森女士回到学校，在芝加哥州立大学完成了教师/认证课程，随后在伊利诺伊州河森林的康考迪亚大学（Concordia University）获得了两个教育领导和课程与教学硕士学位。

安德森女士于 1990 年在芝加哥的最南端开始了她的教学生涯，她在学校的六年里，教授了幼儿园、四年级和阅读/社会研究资源班。 1996 年，她加入华德学校大家庭，担任四年级教师，后于 1998 年成为副校长。安德森女士作为一名教育工作者，她的成功很大程度上归功于她从许多人那里获得了优秀导师的指导，尤其是她在范·弗利森根（Van Vlissingen）的第一任校长杰奎琳·卡罗瑟斯（Jacqueline Carothers ），她激励她追求教育的领导力。作为一名资深校长，她继续致力于服务华德小学的学生、家长和教职员工以及实践芝加哥公立学校的使命。

联系信息：

[email protected]

电话：（773）534-9053

Dr. Elizabeth Griffith

Mr. Terry
Khuu
Asst. Principal

Dear James Ward Families and Community Members,

It is with great honor and privilege to serve as your next Assistant Principal at James Ward Elementary School! I would like to express my THANKS to the James Ward parents, teachers, and leadership team who were involved in the selection process and entrusting me with this opportunity! My name is Terry Khuu and I am so excited to return to the community (Armour Square and Bridgeport neighborhoods) in which I grew up. Like Principal Anderson, I am an educator at heart. Nothing makes us happier than to see your child learn, laugh, and grow! A successful educational experience for your child extends beyond the classroom through strong commitment and partnership between teachers, students, and families.

My professional practice will be grounded by the new CPS School Leadership Framework: Organizational Leadership, Instructional Core, Climate & Culture, and Talent to ensure that we meet our Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP) goals.

JWS Community: perfecting that secret-sauce in sustaining James Ward as the premier neighborhood school that it already is.
Teachers: strengthening our Instructional Core through robust professional learning, new Skyline curriculum implementation, equitable aligned curriculum, instruction, and assessments, to coaching.
Families: providing opportunities to be more engaged in your child's education through school-wide events, volunteering, field trips/learning journeys, to parent workshops.
Students: prioritizing the health and well-being of every child through social emotional learning, differentiated instruction for academic success, to discovering talents in art, language, music, and physical education.

We are looking forward to an amazing year filled with learning, laughing, and growth! Please be encouraged to reach out to the leadership team and our teachers should inquiries arise.

Thank you and Go Jaguars!!

尊敬的华德家人及社区成员:

我非常荣幸能成为你们下一任华德小学的副校长! 我要向参与了选拔过程并赋予我这个机会的华德学校的家长、老师们和领导团队表示衷心的感谢！我名叫Terry Khuu，我很高兴能回到我长大的社区(铠甲广场和桥港社区)。和安德森校长一样，我骨子里也是一名教育工作者。没有什么比看到您的孩子学习、欢笑和成长更让我们开心的了! 通过教师、学生和家庭之间强有力的承诺和伙伴关系，您的孩子获得成功教育的经验将超越课堂。

我的专业实践将以新的 CPS 学校领导框架为基础：组织领导、教学核心、气候和文化以及人才，以确保我们实现持续改进工作计划 (CIWP)的目标。

华德社区:完善这个秘诀，使华德保持目前已经是一流的社区学校。
教师:通过强大的专业学习、新的Skyline课程的实施以及公平统一的课程、教学和评估以及指导来强化我们的教学核心。
家庭:通过全校性活动、志愿服务、实地参观/学习旅行以及家长研讨会等方式，提供更多参与孩子教育的机会。
学生:通过社会情感学习、为学业成功而实施差异化教学，发掘艺术、语言、音乐和体育方面的天赋，优先考虑每个孩子的健康和幸福。

我们期待着充满学习、欢笑和成长的美好的一年!如有疑问，我们鼓励你们与领导团队和老师联系。

感谢大家！捷豹，加油！