For striving to provide international education to students, the Guilford County Schools (GCS) Newcomers School Principal Jake Henry has been named Principal of the Year by the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) Program.

Henry strives to create a welcoming and secure environment for the English language learners and the nine VIF teachers at his school. These VIF teachers offer support and quality instruction as they enable students to honor their heritage.

“This is an honor for our entire school,” said Henry. “I am proud to serve with such a dedicated and caring staff who daily go above and beyond to meet the needs of our students. Our staff and students truly are special.”

The GCS Newcomers School is one of the district’s newest additions designed to meet the needs of English language learners. The school accelerates literacy skills while providing high quality instruction. The unique school is for students in grades five through 12 who have recently arrived to the country and are considered novices on the state language test.

The VIF Program is the largest international-exchange program, sponsoring teachers from around the world to teach in American schools for up to three years before returning home. With comprehensive support services to help ensure a rewarding experience, VIF sponsors more than 1,600 teachers from almost 60 nations in nearly 1,000 schools.