Spring is here and with it, the flood of activity that comes with the remaining months of the school year! There is much to be done to ensure a successful end as well as a great deal of work to prepare for the first day of school in September. Scheduling, hiring, state assessments, professional development, field trips, and kindergarten orientation are just a few of the many tasks that need to be completed before June is upon us. While admittedly, this time of year can feel overwhelming, it is, nonetheless, an exciting few months rich with student learning.
Recognizing the importance of sustained professional development with a focus on curriculum and instruction, changes in the elementary schedule for next year promises to provide additional common planning time for teachers of the same grade level. Additionally, building a 30 minute block for each class called Extended Learning Time (ELT) will ensure that students who need additional support and services are receiving them during a time in the day where no new instruction is being taught. Moreover, this time will help to provide targeted instruction for our students who are above grade level, ensuring that all students are being challenged with rigorous and relevant curricular experiences.
In the middle school, as a result of several retirements, we are busy interviewing candidates for three probationary positions that will begin September 1st . We are saddened to have Ms. Joan Brocker, Ms. Anne Kane and Ms Kathy Robb leave us, but we look forward to our remaining months together and the numerous opportunities to recognize and celebrate their many years of service to our middle school students. We expect to have Board appointments for these vacancies in late May and look forward to the opportunity to welcome three new staff members to our middle school community. These new hires will certainly have large shoes to fill, but I am confident that the Board will be appointing three highly qualified candidates to join the district.
There has been much conversation around acceleration this year, and I promised that changes to our historical model would be met with targeted professional development to ensure that we provide curricular equity while guaranteeing that all students' needs are being met--including our most motivated. With that said, I am pleased and excited to welcome
Dr. Monica Merritt to our district next year as a staff developer that will be working with our 5-8 math department. Dr. Merritt is an associate professor at nearby Mount Saint Mary College, and most importantly, has 17 years of experience as a middle school math teacher, K-8 math department chair and staff developer. She will be working with our math team on curricular realignment and differentiated instruction.
State assessments are quickly approaching this month and with it, some natural anxiety that comes with formal assessment. Given the politics around state testing and the accountability movement, this stress is understandable--for students, teachers and administrators. However, we need to be mindful that these assessments are but one of several measures that indicate student learning and growth. Most importantly, we all need to remember that our students have been immersed in engaging learning experiences throughout the year that best reflect and speak to the quality of our educational program and as a result, the numerous opportunitites for student learning. With that said, I would kindly remind parents of the importance of ensuring that their child eats a healthy breakfast and arrives to school on time on the day of the assessments.
Finally, in regards to school attendance, I would like to remind the community that one of the many responsibilities that come with being a building principal is communicating students' attendance records. Board of Education policy dictates that students who accumulate more than five tardy and/or absences in a given quarter receive a letter communicating their child's attendance record and reminding parents of the importance of regularly sending their child to school. I know that we all recognize and understand the importance of this district policy.
In closing, I look forward to the remaining hectic months of the school year. Although there may be days that feel overwhelming and frantic, I hope we all recognize the importance of taking time to step back, smell the flowers, appreciate the beauty of our community and enjoy the spring weather.
With Warm Regards,
Brent Harrington
Haldane ES/MS Principal