Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Exciting Times at Banks Road Elementary

What great excitement there is at Banks Road Elementary as we near the end of our first year of school! Our students, teachers, parents, and school community have certainly lived up to title of Trailblazers. Together we have created an outstanding school. We have come together as a collaborative learning community that shares a common vision for student success.

Throughout the year we have charted our students' academic growth. Preliminary end-of-year data confirms that our students have made significant academic growth this year! I look forward to sharing more detailed information with our school community over the coming weeks.

Now, we are focused on finishing the last tasks of this year and preparing to begin the 2010-2011 school year on July 1. Yesterday, our fifth graders participated in a fantastic promotion celebration. All students were recognized for their many accomplishments and we reflected on our journey together that began last July. I am confident that our fifth graders are ready for middle school and the next steps they take toward bright and successful futures!

Today, many classes are participating in readers' and writers' theater productions, presenting finished multimedia research projects to classmates and parents, and of course, celebrating a great year of school. I spent time this morning interviewing several students about their school experiences this year. I also spoke with some of our beginning teachers about their first year of teaching at Banks Road. I truly enjoyed listening to their responses and learning how they think we can make Banks Road better. All of their responses confirmed that Banks Road Elementary is a strong school where students enjoy learning and teachers enjoy teaching. This information along with student survey results, parent comments, and Teacher Working Conditions Survey results indicates that are we are indeed blazing a trail to success! Enjoy the upcoming July 4 holiday. We are looking forward to starting back to school on July 9!