From the Superintendent
One of the most rewarding parts of my role as superintendent is visiting the classrooms of all teachers who have been hired over the last two years. This week, I spent a couple of hours in and out of classrooms at Mabel I. Wilson School with Principal Cory Munsey as we visited with students and the school's newer teachers. I continue to be impressed with the caliber and skillfulness of the educators we hire each year to join our existing team of incredible professionals. My visits to classrooms throughout the district are consistently met with students learning at high levels from talented teachers and instructional staff.
Though we are careful not to rely too heavily on one assessment as a means of monitoring student academic growth, we use the iReady assessment as a benchmark for literacy and mathematics due to its reliability in measuring progress with state standards. Much like the large jump in iReady scores at MIW that I referenced in the fall, we have recent iReady results that indicate large growth patterns at GMS 4-5, too. In literacy, iReady scores jumped from 50% of students meeting benchmarks without additional interventions in the fall to 65% this winter. Math scores showed an even greater increase of students meeting benchmarks from 33% in the fall to 63% this winter.
Not only is skillful instruction to credit for these impressive gains, but continued emphasis on targeted interventions is a major factor, otherwise known as Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS). Instruction and accompanying interventions are categorized using this tiered framework:
There is an old saying in education that goes: "Instruction works." The day-to-day focus on academic achievement and learning by our teachers and instructional staff continues to pay off in large dividends for our students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. In a district which routinely demonstrates significant gains in student academic progress each year, as measured against rigorous state learning standards, our students are well prepared for college, career, and beyond.
Regards,
Jeff Porter
5th grade exploring AR/VR with the Merge Cube.
Notices from the Office of the Superintendent
Campus Closure
Due to snow removal that will be taking place this weekend the entire MSAD #51 campus will be closed from Saturday - Sunday morning. We understand and appreciate the enjoyment of sledding down the hills and using the playground equipment, however in order for our facilities team to clear snow, the parking lots must remain empty.
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MSAD #51 Board of Directors Information
Effective August 22, unless otherwise noted, all meetings will take place at 6:00 pm in the Gyger Room at Greely High School. For those of you unfamiliar with that room, the Gyger Room is where the Board met pre-COVID and can be accessed from the GHS parking lot (the side without the electronic sign).
March 6 - Regular Meeting
Remember you can watch our meetings on YouTube LIVE (http://bit.ly/msad51livevideo
Links
Meeting Dates, Agendas & Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting Videos
Community Notices
Community Notices are not affiliated with MSAD #51. Please contact the organization directly with any questions. For a full listing of Community Notices, please click HERE.
Lions Club Students of the Month
IB Visual Art Show
Useful Links
Greely Center for the Arts Events
If you would like something included in our weekly newsletter, please send a brief write up with title along with a JPEG or PNG image of your flyer (if applicable) to Melissa Porter for approval. The deadline each week is Sunday. Any requests received after Sunday will be reviewed for possible submission in the following week's newsletter. All approved submissions will be posted on the district's website.
Not all items in this email are MSAD #51 sponsored programs. If you need more information, please contact the group or organization that is sponsoring the event.
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