Greetings, Hola, Bonjour, ASFL Parents and Guardians,
My name is Nicole Alexandira Shoulders, and I am extremely honored to have been selected as the new principal of the Academy for Science and Foreign Language. I am excited to welcome you to the 2023-2024 school year. I am overjoyed to welcome our new and returning ASFL family of teachers, students, and parents/guardians. ASFL has been a staple in the Huntsville community for years providing students with phenomenal educational opportunities. Opportunities where students can share and display what they have learned as well as what they have created through content instruction.
I have traveled on this journey with my little red wagon. My mom raised me with this saying, “It’s your little red wagon… you can push it or pull it.” Over the years my mom and others have added a few words of wisdom along the way. As we all embark on this upcoming school year, I will continue to fill my little red wagon with something new from my ASFL family. From a nonprofit to a high school history teacher to a lifelong learner, my passion is for others to achieve their greatest aspirations. Before becoming a classroom teacher, I had the pleasure of working at Girls Incorporated of Huntsville. After my time at Girls Inc. I co-founded Step-By-Step, Inc serving girls and boys in grades K-8. I continued my service to the community and became a General Social Science teacher at S.R. Butler High School. My time at Butler was priceless. In 2015 S.R. Butler High permanently closed and my new unforgettable journey began at Huntsville High School. For the past five years, I have absolutely enjoyed my time as the Assistant Principal of Blossomwood Elementary School. It was truly an adventure, and my little red wagon has been filled with knowledge, love, and laughter. Each experience has allowed me to lead and provide support for my colleagues, students, and parents. The last three years post-COVID have been challenging for every educator in the world. I hope that I can provide comfort and support as we continue to transition back to a sense of normalcy in education. Lessons learned on this path will also be added to my little red wagon.
My goal this 2023-2024 school year is to shine a light on our teachers and students as they continue to strive for excellence. I believe that our role as educators is to help every student succeed. However, this takes teachers, staff members, families, and the community to commit and invest in our children. I want to build our school climate and culture into a model school of what excellence not only looks like but feels like. I want to provide tangible experiences for our teachers, students, and families. Through a respectful and structured environment, we all can succeed inside and outside of the classroom. My expectations will be clear from day one. I want to highlight the talents within the walls at ASFL throughout Madison County and beyond. Together, I want to increase our academic performance by providing our students with opportunities that will extend outside the classroom as well. By increasing partnerships with local companies, organizations, colleges, and universities our students will thrive. I am driven by the Academy for Science and Foreign Language's mission and our unique programs. Providing students with specialized science electives, extra curricula activities, and field experiences will better equip our students for their next educational journey and the world. We will be the premiere magnet school in Madison County, but I need you. We can set goals as a school, but they will become goals on paper rather than shared accomplishments. In order for our students to dream the unimaginable and to achieve the impossible we have to do more than just show up and sign papers. We have to be committed, engaged, and invested in our student’s educational journey. It is our time to SHINE!
As we prepare for the 2023-2024 school year, I will send out important information regarding open house and other imperative dates Please feel free to email me at nicole.shoulders@hsv-k12.org with any suggestions, highlights, or concerns. If you prefer to call, you can reach me at 256-428-7000. I am so excited and here if you need me!