Guest Editorial … Feeling thankful this November

By Interim Superintendent Nabil Nagi
At Hamtramck Public Schools (HPS), we are fortunate to have a community full of teachers, leaders and partners eager to create the best educational environment for our students.
It is special to know we have so many generous and encouraging individuals cheering our students to success as they learn and grow in our classrooms.
With Thanksgiving approaching, now is the perfect time to share gratitude with those selflessly making a difference each day.
To start, I want to recognize the veterans in our community that we celebrated on Veterans Day (on Friday, November 11). We know that thanks to their selflessness we live free. Please join me in sharing thanks to all those who made this sacrifice.
I also want to thank all HPS teachers and staff members for graciously going above and beyond for our students and their colleagues. It is because you come to school each day with a positive attitude and passion for learning that our students are thriving in their classrooms. Time spent building lesson plans and catering to each student’s specific need to ensure success across the board is not unnoticed.
In fact, it is because of this hard work that we recently learned HPS students earned the greatest improvement across Wayne County in English language arts and math proficiency in grades 3 through 8 from 2021 to 2022. We are proud of our students for their commitment to learning and know the role our incredible team played in this achievement.
We are also thankful to the Board of Education for the time they devote to our schools. The individuals on the Board volunteer their time so that our students have the resources they need to thrive while ensuring good stewardship of the district’s finances.
It’s through their work that our district remains strong and capable of providing the very best for our students.
While we take pride in serving as a guide to students as they navigate their development, we also look for ways to impact their lives beyond the classroom.
Any student needing clothing, from shoes to athletic wear, is eligible to visit the “Cosmos Closet.” It’s a room at Hamtramck High School full of items donated by members of the school community for students in crisis.
At our last count, the closet was too full to receive any more items. Thank you for the generosity to all who bring their gently used clothing items to our closet. It makes a difference.
Another way we look to impact students is through our partnership with The Jewish Fund and the Children’s Foundation to provide glasses to students with vision problems through the Hamtramck SEES program.
To be eligible for this program, teachers make a recommendation. Since its inception in 2017, roughly 800 students have benefited from receiving new glasses.
This year, HPS is partnering with Detroit Friendship House and ICNA Muslim Relief Services to provide Thanksgiving meals to families free of cost, as long as they register.
Additionally, as the holiday season approaches, there will be toy and coat drives, which will benefit the community.
It is these things that truly make us stand out as a district and I’m grateful that I have an opportunity to work with such exceptional people.
If you’d like to learn more about Hamtramck Public Schools, enroll your child or apply for a job, please visit Hamtramckschools.org
Posted Nov. 23, 2022