North Central and Southeast Elementary the first two of 10 new elementary schools
For more than 22 years, YES Prep has served students in grades 6-12 and increased the number of students from underserved communities who graduate from college prepared to lead. Recognized by U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post and others as having some of the best schools in the nation, we are excited that beginning this August, we will be opening elementary schools to provide the same quality education to families with younger children.
The first two YES Prep elementary schools will be YES Prep North Central Elementary and YES Prep Southeast Elementary. For their inaugural year, North Central and Southeast will serve students in kindergarten through second grade, with additional grade levels being added the following years, including pre-K up to fifth grade.
Founding school principals
Serving as our founding principal for North Central Elementary is Michelle LaFlure.
Michelle has been passionately dedicated to the North Central Houston community for the past 19 years, including serving as the YES Prep North Central principal from 2014 to 2019.
“I could not be more excited to launch the first-ever YES Prep elementary school. Countless families have been waiting years for this day to come and it is hard to believe we open in less than three months! I’m excited to take what I’ve learned from serving as a principal in a top-performing secondary school and use those tools and skills to ensure children on the north side of Houston have access to an excellent elementary education.”
Diana Rios will be serving as the founding principal for Southeast Elementary.
Diana has been a teacher for 16 years, having taught in Houston, Colombia and Guatemala. She comes with experience as a grade-level chair, as well as teaching bilingual education at the elementary level and teaching adults and children in the Special Education program.
“I am really excited that YES Prep is expanding its services to younger students in Houston. The sooner students start getting a quality education, the stronger their path to college will be. I am looking forward to the next five years and the relationships I will build with community partners, families, staff members, and students to create the schools that OUR families deserve.”
Elementary schools’ core values
Each of our YES Prep schools have core values and our elementary schools will be no exception. Different from the secondary schools, all of our elementary schools will share the same core values as it perfectly encapsulates what our elementary students’ values and standards will be.
We’re excited to introduce to you the YES Prep Elementary SPARKS:
S for Self-Aware - Sparks know our own selves. We identify our emotions and thoughts. We seek to celebrate our strengths and understand our limitations. We have a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a “growth mindset.”
P for Passionate - Sparks are passionate learners who explore new ideas with enthusiasm. We demand excellence of ourselves and others. Sparks are passionately proud of themselves and their communities.
A for Achievers - Sparks chase after excellence. They set big goals and they work hard to achieve them.
R for Relentless - Sparks never give up in pursuit of our dreams. We never stop working to make the world a better place.
K for Kind - Sparks seek opportunities to be kind to each other know that we must work together to create a joyful community.
S for Safe - Sparks make safe choices for self, relationships and school.
Be a founding family
Your child still has an opportunity to be part of the founding class of YES Prep North Central or Southeast Elementary. Students who enroll in YES Prep join a family-oriented culture and have access to a quality education that incorporates strong supports for the whole child from elementary to secondary. Plus, your child will have automatic enrollment in top-performing YES Prep secondary feeder campus.
To learn more about enrollment, click here.