Principal's Corner
Welcome to the Principal's Corner. My name is Lauren Amrhein, principal of Bernice A. Ray Elementary School. Each week I post a message here to keep you updated on important topics that are happening at our school.
My weekly posts can also be found in the weekly Ray of Sunshine newsletter which I highly encourage you to view. I also happen to have a twitter feed (in column to the right) where I like to post things that are happening throughout the day. I hope you find all of this information helpful, informative and fun.
Regards,
Lauren
Most Recent Post:
Week of September 30 - October 4
Important Dates
- October 8th - 3rd Grade Curriculum Night @ 5:30
- October 9th - Bike & Roll to School Day (more information below)
- October 9th - 4th Grade Curriculum Night @ 5:00
- October 9th - Hanover School Board Meeting @ 7:00
- October 10th - Dot Day - Wear DOTS!
- October 11th and 14th- School Closed
- October 16th - School Picture Day
From Our Principal
Dear Families,
Our SAU 70 Strategic Plan includes a goal under the category of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment to meet the needs of all learners by adopting and implementing best instructional practices.
At the Ray School, we are focusing on high leverage practices to make progress towards this goal. Those high leverage practices include:
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Collaborating with professionals to increase student success
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Using multiple sources of information to develop a comprehensive understanding of a student’s strengths and needs
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Adapting curriculum tasks and materials for specific learning goals
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Systematically designing instruction toward a specific learning goal
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Using flexible groupings
As such, we are very excited to implement a 30 minute “WIN” block for grades K-4 this school year. WIN (which stands for “What I Need”) is a time for teachers to provide personalized literacy & math instruction for each student in the classroom - based on what students need. Sometimes, this will mean a student is receiving extra practice through games & reinforcement, sometimes a student might receive enrichment, and sometimes a student will receive extra support to build foundational and grade-level skills. (High Leverage Practices: Adapting curriculum tasks and materials for specific learning goals; Systematically designing instruction toward a specific learning goal)
It is important to recognize that though the WIN block isn’t a scheduled part of the fifth grade day, the collaborative nature of the team teaching approach provides opportunities for students to get what they need during various parts of the day, and the team also continues to have support and collaboration with our math specialist, reading/writing specialist, instructional coach, learning specialist team, and interventionist team. (High Leverage Practice: Collaborating with professionals to increase student success)
One very important component of WIN is using data to inform instruction. In September, all grade levels participated in data meetings to identify areas of strength and areas of growth for instruction, and also to identify WIN groups for students in their classrooms. We will continue to use a variety of data to inform instruction, and to adjust WIN groups based on what a student needs. (High Leverage Practices: Collaborating with professionals to increase student success; Using multiple sources of information to develop a comprehensive understanding of a student’s strengths and needs)
Another very important component of WIN is small group instruction. Small groups allow teachers to personalize instruction, promote collaboration with peers in the small group, and monitor progress. During WIN, students may be working in small groups with their classroom teacher, another teacher in the same grade level, or an interventionist to support their math and literacy skills. This instruction can occur in small groups in the classroom or in a separate work space near the classroom. (High Leverage Practice: Using flexible groupings)
You may hear your student sharing about WIN. Maybe they have started a new project, are working on building skills, or are working with another teacher - all very exciting possibilities as we work together to best meet the needs of our Ray students!
Please reach out to your classroom teacher, and to the ELA Coordinator, Cassandra Lockwood, Math Coordinator, Colleen Roy, or me with any questions.
Next week we’ll return to discussion about our Illustrative Mathematics program. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Lauren Amrhein
Principal
