Dear Mirror Lake Scholars, Families, and Community,

Thank you for your partnership as we worked through our first year in a new building together! Your perseverance and dedication have been crucial to the success of Mirror Lake scholars. For those I have yet to meet, I want to take the time to introduce myself formally as the principal of Mirror Lake Elementary. I have been a part of the FWPS community for the past 14 years as a teacher, Dean of Students, and Assistant Principal, and am so excited to continue in my 2nd year serving as your Principal! I graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in Elementary Education and a Minor in English Literature. I later received my Masters in Educational Leadership and Principal Certification from City University.  I feel blessed and honored to continue to be a part of this very special community, and to learn and grow alongside the Mirror Lake staff, scholars, and families. We are going to do amazing things together! In addition to my role as administrator, I also have 2 daughters who are a part of our Mirror Lake community as 1st and 5th graders. I truly believe our school is the BEST place for our scholars to grow, and am proud that my own children get to learn from our amazing staff.                                                                       

Continuing his service to our community this year is our Assistant Principal, David Fleming. In previous roles in FWPS, Mr. Fleming served as the Dean of Students for Mark Twain Elementary. Prior to that he held multiple positions at Rainier Prep Public Charter School in Seattle including new teacher mentor, instructional coach, and middle school teacher. Mr. Fleming earned a masters in curriculum and instruction and is working towards principal certification and completion of the educational leadership program at the University of Washington. He obtained a bachelor’s in music and psychology from Whitman College. We are incredibly excited to continue our partnership together as we launch what we know will be our best year ever!

Mirror Lake teachers and staff continue to be hard at work over the summer months. We know that this next school year will be an exciting one. As a staff, we are focused on building strong relationships, Restorative Practices, and safety procedures, expectations, and routines.  Social emotional supports, such as Morning Meetings and the Second Step curriculum, will be prioritized by all classroom teachers to facilitate relationship building between scholars, their peers, and their teachers. We are gearing up to spend time doing professional learning together as a staff in August, and will prioritize time for teachers at all grade levels to calibrate their instruction to ensure students receive the skills they need to be successful at every grade level. We value family partnerships and are excited to welcome you into our community to participate in whatever way you are able!

Looking forward to an amazing year together,

Courtney Eylander, Principal
David Fleming, Assistant Principal