Melissa D. Suarez

Mount Caesar Elementary School
Monadnock Regional School District
Swanzey, New Hampshire
msuzarez@mrsd.org

Melissa Suarez understands that the success of a school depends on the success and creativity of its teachers. Drawing on a decade of her own experience in the classroom, Suarez works tirelessly to build the leadership capacity of her team by building a trusting and empowering professional culture at Mount Caesar Elementary School. Through strategic mentorship and proactive engagement with the expertise of her staff, Suarez has built high-functioning leadership teams to advance school improvement leveraging the knowledge, insights, and experience of all school stakeholders. One such team is currently focused on guiding instruction and interventions that develop the social and emotional wellness of students, curriculum development which has been especially important throughout the pandemic. As a pre-K-2 school, Mount Caesar plays a critical role in building the foundation for later academic success and actively enlists the support of families and community members to make it happen. Establishing strong family relationships early on has been a top priority during her tenure and she has forged local partnerships that provide material support for families, boost literacy instruction, and support new teacher development while expanding learning opportunities for students. Suarez is an Adjunct Faculty at Keene State College, where she earned M.Ed. and B.A. degrees. She holds a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from New England College.