Letter From Mrs. Nelson

Dear Briarcliff Bulldog Parents,

I hope this letter finds you and your family enjoying a relaxing summer break and getting rejuvenated for the return to school on August 26th. My name is Lori Nelson, and it is with great honor that I introduce myself as the lead learner and Principal at Briarcliff Elementary School starting August 19th. 

To share a little about myself, I am originally from upstate New York and moved to North Carolina after graduating in 1996. I loved the area so much that I now call it home. I am married to Kevin, and we have two beautiful daughters, Ava (8) and Lucy (10). Over the years I have loved coaching Odyssey of the Mind and soccer. I love to travel with my family and enjoy cooking for friends and neighbors. 

I have been fortunate to serve students and families for the last 21 years in North Carolina, with 16 of those years being here in Wake County Public Schools. I have spent most of my career working with elementary school students and have taught every grade kindergarten through sixth, with the exception of first grade. I have worked with special needs students in an inclusion model and am AIG certified. I also pull from some of my experience as a middle school administrator to prepare students to be successful beyond elementary school. Most recently, I spent the last seven years as an elementary school Assistant Principal in WCPSS.

I wholeheartedly believe that every student at Briarcliff is uniquely capable and deserves to be challenged and engaged in relevant, rigorous, and meaningful learning each day. I know that if we work to build relationships not only with students, but with each other, there is nothing we cannot accomplish in preparing each and every student for their future. I feel privileged to be able to join the Briarcliff team as we continue to develop our vision of creating a caring and creative environment that will inspire, support, and empower students to believe in themselves, achieve personal goals, and succeed academically. 

Over the next several weeks, I will work to set up times for us to get together. Please follow me on twitter @MrsLoriNelson. This will give you an inside look into our school and upcoming events. I will be in classrooms every day and share the amazing work that is being done. I want to ensure that all lines of communication are open for you at all times. My door is always open as we work as a team to bring the vision at Briarcliff to life.  My email address is lnelson5@wcpss.net.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and see you soon,

Lori Nelson