Jessica Holbrook

Dear Cornelius Elementary School families,

Cornelius Elementary is one of the oldest schools in the Northwest Learning Community, dating back to the 1930s. We are steeped in tradition and work to infuse the Cornelius culture while continuing to be innovative and engaging with our instruction. Our PTO is a strong supporter of our teachers, raising more than $100,000 in the past school year. The funds are mainly used to make building improvements, fund teacher grants, buy supplies and books for the classroom and support technology requests.

Cornelius Elementary serves a diverse population. Currently we have students from more than 10 countries. Our students speak 16 languages in addition to English. Various school clubs are offered including art, Student Council, Mad Science, golf, chess, and robotics. Mindfulness, chorus and recorder, and Girls on the Run are offered for all grades.  

Our mission is to inspire students to reach full potential as lifelong learners through a variety of learning experiences, where responsibility for teaching and learning is respectfully shared among students, parents, staff and community. Our vision states that Cornelius Elementary School will be a collaborative community of excellence which fosters creative, self-directed, lifelong learners and community contributors. We strive to provide consistency for our staff and students and hire quality teachers. 

Let me tell you a little about myself. I have had the privilege of working in CMS for the past 21 years and it is an honor to serve as the principal of Cornelius Elementary. I graduated from Radford University in Virginia with a degree in early childhood education.  I began my teaching career at Newell Elementary in 1997, teaching second and third grades for 13 years. I earned my master's degree in school administration/curriculum and supervision from UNC Charlotte in 2010.  From 2010 to 2013, I worked at Montclaire Elementary, serving as the dean of students and assistant principal. In September 2013, I became the principal at Cornelius Elementary. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I am an avid Carolina Panthers fan and love to travel to any beach when possible.  At Cornelius, we strive to create an inviting and inclusive community where all students can succeed.  We are focused on individualized instruction in order for all students to achieve full potential.  We understand there is no one way to learn and we provide differentiated instruction and a flexible teaching approach that adapts the curriculum and teaching strategies to individual learning need.

Thank you for choosing CMS and Cornelius Elementary!
Jessica Holbrook, principal