At E. B. Morse Elementary School, our mission is to empower and inspire all to be educated and informed. By offering both Montessori and Scholarly classroom experiences, parents and students can choose the learning path that best fits their needs. It is our goal to support families in preparing students for experiences beyond graduation in an ever-evolving world. While it is certainly true that the last few years have been challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the goal of E. B. Morse Elementary School remains to support all students academically and socially in a safe learning environment. Additionally, it is important that we assist, support, collaborate, and communicate with parents and members of the larger local community.
Academically, we focused on both academic recovery and acceleration during the 2021-2022 school year. To address learning recovery, we utilized the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework to identify students in need of additional support and interventions. Through our MTSS team, students' responses to new strategies were gauged throughout the year. In conjunction with classroom teachers, academic interventionists, and the building leadership team, our team sought to provide personalized learning paths for individual students on an as-needed basis.
However, recovery was only one aspect of our mission. In support of our district motto, "Be A Champion," we challenged all students to increase at least ten percentiles points on the district-wide progress monitoring tool administered three times throughout the year. Because of the hard work of students, teachers, and parents, approximately 140 students met the school challenge for growth from Fall 2021 to Spring 2022. We will continue this initiative in the coming year and look forward to additional growth in district and state assessments.
Increasing students' academic strength was only a portion of our mission. It was understood that students needed social-emotional learning (SEL) support when returning to campus in response to school closures during the preceding months. In response, we offered several strategies. First, our guidance department met with small and individual groups, when possible, to address specific needs. Secondly, we created the Raiders in Training leadership group, open to all grade levels. Finally, all students received instruction from the In-Focus SEL curriculum, a framework purchased by our district, each morning.
Our motto for the 2021-2022 school year was "Stronger Together." Although we still have improvements to realize in order to ensure that all students are growing academically and socially, we must take a moment to celebrate the path traveled already. With the support of parents, community members, and most importantly those within our building, we can ensure that our students are fully prepared for experiences after elementary school. Please join us on this journey and, during the 2022-2023 school year, watch us grow!
Jason Bailey, Principal
Samantha Bond, Chairperson