July 13, 2020
Dear Cragmont Community,
It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I write this letter of introduction to you as the new Principal of Cragmont Elementary School. I am honored to have the opportunity to lead a school with such an extremely dedicated staff, hard working students, and a strong and supportive school community. I feel very fortunate to have been chosen to be the educational leader of Cragmont School.
I come to Cragmont with over 30 years of teaching experience in the Berkeley Unified School District. I have taught grades Kindergarten through 6th grade and most recently, spent the last 3 years as the Malcolm X School Vice Principal. During our recent Shelter In Place (SIP) and distance learning, I worked with Malcolm X students and families to connect to learning, worked to increase our connections between staff and families, and worked with other principals throughout the district to develop curriculum and communicate policies.
On a personal note, my husband and I met our first year at the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) and have been happily married for 30 years. Our son, a Berkeley High alum, just graduated with his master’s in cello performance from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. We all enjoy traveling, attending events at Cal, watching local professional sports, and spending time with our extended family. I am looking forward to sharing my family with the Cragmont community.
Principal Candyce Cannon (middle) with her family. Courtesy of Candyce Cannon.
I view education as a life-long process and expect that I will continue to learn much about the uniqueness of Cragmont this year and in the years to come. Most importantly, I hold the belief that students should be at the center of all school-related decisions. I am excited to bring my experience, my openness to learn, and my child-centered approach to support our students. Because the relationships between families and the school are vital to the success of our students, I look forward to meeting all of you and continuing our journey together.
Sincerely,
Candyce Cannon
UPDATE:
If you haven’t done so already, please go to the following link and fill out the form for each of your BUSD students. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Be on the lookout in the next few days for important emails from BUSD with dates and times for community meetings where the state of the district will be discussed. The district is using the information from the family survey (see the link above), public health recommendations from Berkeley Public Health and Alameda County Public Health departments, and CDC guidelines to determine how instruction will be delivered this fall in BUSD schools.
The reason I have not been in touch with our Cragmont community about the upcoming school year is because this situation is changing so rapidly. By the time an email or letter is written, the information is outdated! As soon as I know about any decisions or have any information for our community, I will get that to you as soon as possible.
As I said in my original letter, I am so excited to be part of the Cragmont community. I have (safely) met with many Cragmont staff members this summer already and have been in constant contact with the other principals in BUSD. We are all working to plan a safe return to instruction, whatever form that will take. Please fill out the survey, check your emails, and enjoy what is left of your summer.
Go Dragons!
Candyce Cannon
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