Dear Parent and Guardians,

Welcome Griffith Families to the 2018-2019 School Year.  My name is Annamarie Dowling-Garrott (Mrs. D-G) and I am very excited to be your new principal.

I want to give you a brief overview of my experience since I’m new to the Balsz Community. I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. I have been in education for over 20 years as a teacher and administrator in the Chicago-land area and just moved to Arizona last year. I have a strong passion and background working with students and families to persevere through adversity and strive for excellence, both in and out of the classroom. Two areas that I am very passionate about and will focus on this year are Student Achievement & School Climate.

In my 11 years as an administrator, being a creative thinker and a problem-solver, has contributed to seeing significant growth in Student Achievement.  By nurturing the unique skills and abilities of all learners, we can assure that our students are empowered to be globally competitive and innovative thinkers who contribute to their community’s sustainability. I am dedicated to your children and your children’s teachers to be the Instructional Leader of Griffith Elementary. Your students deserve the best and I will strive to prepare and support the teachers so incredible teaching and learning will happen every day at Griffith. Each and every adult that works on this campus will obtain high expectations for each and every student on campus. We will ensure that every minute counts while we have your child through standards, data, and engagement. 

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