William J. McGinn Elementary School - Scotch Plains, NJ

William J. McGinn Elementary School works together with our close-knit communities of Scotch Plains and Fanwood to create a learning environment that cultivates student curiosity, creativity and a sense of belonging. Our students learn about themselves and the diversity of our school and world community through relevant curricula brought to life through authentic learning experiences. Our PTA and school cultural events foster relationships, empathy and independent learning. McGinn continually evolves thanks to the exchange of information, ideas and camaraderie across SPF schools. Our staff and families collaborate to provide our children with the "Foundation to Grow, the Compassion to Give, and the Imagination to Dream."

McGinn students engage in rigorous and stimulating academic programs that integrate diverse perspectives, socio-emotional learning and technology to nurture the whole child. Students become independent learners through programming robots, researching global communities, and working collaboratively to build on one another's strengths. Our staff function as a family to learn from one another how to best support the individual and collective needs of our students. They find innovative ways to differentiate instruction to maintain high expectations and include all students.

McGinn's family school connection is the reason our students thrive. Staff and families collectively provide culturally rich experiences for our students. Author visits, winter and spring concerts, gallery evenings, lunchtime performances, whole-school coding, global family culture celebrations, planting and maintaining gardens, service learning through food and clothing drives, and movie and BINGO nights are all integral to fostering a lifelong love of learning in our students.