Welcome to Cypress Creek High School!
Dear Cypress Creek High School Familia,
I am honored and blessed to join the great Cypress Creek High School community. For thirty years, I have enjoyed an amazing journey that began when I was an ESOL teacher in a Title I middle school in Perth Amboy, New Jersey to now as the proud principal of Cypress Creek High School. I have also had the great experience of leading at the district level as the director of Multilingual Student Education Services (MSES) as well as supporting the vision and mission of Orange County Public Schools as an assistant principal of Lake Nona High School. These experiences have truly transformed my life and given me a passion for advocating for all students and positively influencing and supporting teachers, students and parents.
As an assistant principal at Lake Nona High School, I created the International Scholars Support Class (ISSC) to provide academic support for ELLs through a culture of high expectations and academic tools to support language acquisition as well as their acculturation process. To increase student and staff recognition, I designed the Pawsitive Pride and Lion of the Month recognition programs for students and staff respectively. In my role as the director of Multilingual Student Services, I was responsible for implementing a research-based ELL plan to serve over 36,000 ELLs, which included professional development in the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) and Bilingual Framework, supporting ESOL compliance teachers, and providing ESOL Endorsement classes.
My most recent experience as the proud principal of Meadow Woods Middle provided me with an incredible opportunity to build a collaborative culture of leadership that focused on professional development and research-based strategies for the whole child. During the past seven years, Meadow Woods Middle has become a recognized School of Innovation for implementing social emotional learning practices and becoming the first Lighthouse Leader in Me school in Orange County Public Schools (OCPS). Meadow Woods MS continues to receive recognition for a positive culture, increased student and teacher leadership and providing course offerings for academic acceleration, high school credit offerings, technology and the arts. In 2018, I also received the Spirit of Excellence Middle School Principal Award from the Multilingual Department.
As I embark on this new journey, my desire is to be able to work closely with the Cypress Creek High School community in preparing students to be successful global citizens with the support of teachers and families. I strongly believe that as a team we can continue building upon the great foundation of the Bear family (“La Familia”). Through collaboration and innovation, we will continue to provide empowering and rigorous learning experiences for all students; provide leadership pathways in a positive and safe environment and build a thriving school culture that allows students to tap into their gifts and talents! We are Cypress Creek Bear PRIDE!!!
“When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” -George Washington Carver
In Leadership and Bear Pride,
Marisol Mendez, M.S.
Principal, Cypress Creek High School