July 27, 2020 

Dear Silver Creek Middle School Staff, Students, and Community, 

I hope your summer is going well and you all are safe and healthy. It is with great pride and excitement that I write this letter of introduction to you as your acting principal beginning August 1, 2020. In preparation for the transition, I have been working side by side with Dr. Townsend and feel fortunate to follow such great leadership where a culture of academic excellence precedes. Please know that I share in this commitment to provide an inspiring and meaningful learning experience for all students and look forward to serving the Silver Creek Community. 

I started my career as a middle and high school math and science teacher/leader, and served as a staff development teacher where I provided professional development to support high quality teaching and learning. Since then, I have served as a middle and high school administrator in MCPS for the last 14 years. My most recent experience was at Thomas S. Wootton High school where I served as an assistant principal and principal intern. I love middle school students and look forward to the opportunity to return to middle school. One of my most important roles is being a mother. I have three kids who attend MCPS; my two sons attend middle school and my daughter is in elementary school. As a parent of adolescents, I am keenly aware of the social, emotional and academic needs kids face during this time of growth and development; thus, recognizing the importance of fostering caring relationships with students. 

I am very passionate about equity and making a difference for all children. My goal is to ensure every child has multiple opportunities to reach his/her greatest potential through various avenues. With the most recent events that have plagued our country around race, it underscores the importance of leading for change. As such, I believe educators are significant adults in a child’s life, and we must work together to ensure all students feel safe and inspired to learn. I have seen this over the last few weeks as I have worked with leadership team members and staff. I have been impressed by the intentional efforts to establish structures to support the social and instructional needs of our students during COVID; and the commitment to ensure our school practices support Empathy, Equity and Care for both our students and staff. I look forward to contributing to the rich tradition of excellence that Dr. Townsend, the staff, students and community have established at Silver Creek Middle School since opening in 2017. This tradition is a result of the partnership among students, staff, leaders and parents to cultivate a high quality education of excellence. This is especially important as we face the uncertainty of our nation’s pandemic. I know this has been a challenging time for everyone as we all navigate a new normal while balancing the demands of home and work. In addition, it is also a time to recognize and support our students’ social and emotional needs that are prevalent as we face racial injustice in our current climate and the impact it has on us all. As a school community, we must recognize that our diversity is our strength, raise each other up in times of adversity, and continue to build strong relationships that foster respect, care and appreciation of one another. 

As we begin this year together, building trust is key. To start, I would like to get to know each of you and extend an invitation to the community for a virtual meet and greet scheduled for Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 6 PM. Please access the link sent directly to your email on Friday, July 24. If you did not receive the link, you may send an email to silvercreekattendance@mcpsmd.org or leave a message on the school’s voice mail (240-740-2200) with your child’s name to receive it. I look forward to meeting you. 

Please feel free to contact me at any time at Tiffany_N_Awkard@mcpsmd.org

Sincerely, 

Tiffany Awkard, Ed.D