Principal's Message

Salutations Scholars, Families, and Friends!
I am excited about my recent assignment to Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet School (GMMS) for the 
2023-2024 academic year. GMMS is a welcoming and inclusive academic environment where 
student achievement is a priority. Administration, teachers, and faculty have high expectations
for all students, and we believe in all students and their potential to compete in this
technologically advanced society. We invite parents, guardians, and community stakeholders
to partner with GMMS by attracting and providing innovative academic and leadership
experiences. One-way families can partner with Garyville/Mt. Airy Magnet is to join the Parent 
Engagement Group (PEG) and supporting the organized school projects. In addition, home-to-school partnership is the most impactful factor in the success of scholars. At Garyville/Mt. Airy,
we understand the importance of maintaining a productive partnership through open and 
honest communication along with positive and proactive engagement across stakeholders. 
Your involvement is welcomed and encouraged to support student success.
I am thrilled to embark on this mission with students from PreK - 8 to nurture, develop, and 
accelerate their understanding and knowledge academically, socially, and emotionally. Our 
scholars will become better problem solvers, critical thinkers, and innovative creators while 
receiving instruction with approved Tier 1 curriculum supplemental resources. Our school’s
goal is to meet the needs of all learners resulting in academic progress and student 
achievement. Our instructional focus includes ELA & Math Intervention, standards-aligned 
instruction, student engagement, and innovative learning experiences. The integration of 
effective instructional practices will provide a robust classroom environment for the acquisition 
of knowledge. We have Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) expectations that 
empower students to be respectful, responsible, safe, problem solvers as they learn, work, and 
play each day. Working together, we can help all students to achieve with excellence by doing 
“Their Best”!
Respectfully yours,
Dr. Kara Lawson, Principal
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”- Tim Notke