Welcome to South Elementary! I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer and are ready to move into fall and the 2008-2009 school year.
Our building has undergone a number of improvements throughout the summer, some of which will continue for a few more weeks. All of the external windows have been pointed to prevent leaking and crumbling. The gymnasium and cafeteria steps have been replaced, along with some sidewalks and curbing. A new roof is being installed, and that process will continue for a few more weeks, however, the disruption to our school day will be minimal. Inside, we have replaced the carpet in several rooms including the library, and painted hallways and some classrooms.
Our building enrollment, along with the entire district, has continued to decrease. This year we will have only two sections of kindergarten instead of three, but will keep the three sections of every other grade, along with the fourth section of fifth grade. The average class size is 20, which is an excellent number for teaching and learning. We open our doors to a total of 410 students.
We are pleased to welcome six new educators to our faculty. Mrs. Rickard will be in third grade, Mr. Donnini and Mrs. Winkler in fifth, and Mrs. Kyzer will be our new band director for sixth grade. We have also added two new positions. Mrs. Barna will be our student assistance counselor, co-ordinating our Response to Intervention team, and Mrs. Slate will be providing math interventions for students in grades four and five. I'm sure you will join us in making them feel welcome. Please stop by to see them during "Back to School Night" on Thursday, September 4th (a schedule is being sent home with this letter). Our program will begin at 5:30 in the gymnasium.
There are several district initiatives this year that will impact all of our students. One of those is the full implementation of our district wellness policy. It is important that our students eat healthy and get regular exercise. While we address these issues in our cafeteria, physical education classes and daily wellness activity time, we will be asking you to do your part by providing healthy snacks, treats and lunches for your children, both in school and at home. We particularly need your co-operation during classroom celebrations.
Another initiative is career education. Our district has received a sizable grant to develop a career education curriculum for grades kindergarten through twelve. Our guidance counselor will be delivering classroom lessons on careers, and each grade will be participating in activities focusing on career awareness.
Lastly, our primary focus, as always, is on academic achievement. Each year our students and teachers have risen to the challenge set before us by No Child Left Behind, raising the number of students at each grade level who reach proficiency in reading and mathematics. Last year's scores continued to show gain. In order to insure that all of our students reach their full potential, we will have an instructional interventionist who will work with students in the area of reading. This will be in addition to Title reading services that many students now receive. We also now have a half time interventionist who will work in the area of math, providing in-school tutoring to help students get back on track and not fall below the expected achievement levels. You may learn from your children that they are receiving additional time with another teacher for reading and/or math throughout the school year. This would be the interventionists working with them. Students may receive these services during part of a special, or a portion of another class. We are proud of our students' accomplishments and the growth that they make toward our goal of "students achieving standards".
I look forward to your continued co-operation and support as we begin this year together. As always, my door is open to your concerns and needs. Please feel free to contact me or your child/children's teachers whenever it is necessary. Our primary goal is to provide a productive, fulfilling year, rich with those learning experiences that will insure success for all students. You are encouraged to become an active part of those experiences.
I wish you and your child/children a wonderful school year, filled with new experiences and opportunities, and most of all a wealth of learning!
