At W. E. Parker Elementary School, we are growing world-class citizens by engaging, empowering, and enriching all learners. Our school culture reflects this purpose and supports our beliefs that students learn best in a safe, nurturing environment where respect for self, others, property and learning permeates. By building positive relationships with our stakeholders, there is a common trust and assurance that our professional staff will meet each child's social, emotional, and academic needs.
During the current school year, we implemented Project Lead the Way Launch in kindergarten-fifth grades. This program empowers students to adopt a design-thinking mindset through compelling activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the world around them. As students engage in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they become creative, collaborative problem solvers ready to take on any challenge. This is an exciting opportunity as we expand project-based learning and provide students with challenging and engaging activities that will prepare them for future employment. In addition, all students participated weekly in STEM Academy providing them with additional supportive activities including coding. Stephen Covey's Seven Habits curriculum, utilized by the guidance counselor, addressed many important social skills applicable to the success of the SC graduate.
The professionalism of our staff working diligently to meet the ever-changing needs of each individual child, regardless of their diverse background, is prevalent in our school. Teachers continue to collaborate within our school and across our district to design quality units of study and rigorous assessments to measure student mastery. We are excited to have the opportunity to participate in Personalized Learning training provided by the state. We have begun to incorporate some strategies that we learned into our environment. Offering seating that is more flexible for students and providing students with more voice and choice during activities are just two of the strategies. Professional development focused on growth mindset along with visiting exemplary personalized learning schools is planned for the 2018-2019 school year. All of our students in grades 3-5 have access to a chromebook for use at school providing more access and availability for research and other activities as we prepare our students for the future and continue to explore a more personalized approach to learning.
Teachers meet the individual needs of students through small group instruction tailored to the student's instructional level. An enrichment period provides specialized instruction to serve those needing accelerated learning or additional support to achieve success. Additional services such as the Gifted and Talented program, the program for Exceptional Children, Response to Intervention, and the S.H.A.R.E. program provide academic and/or social-emotional support to selected students. Several of our students have community mentors who support them weekly. In addition, several outside agencies provide specialized support to identified students supplying them with the tools necessary to become empowered and engaged in their learning.
In addition, we are teaching our children leadership and responsibility skills by providing them with opportunities to serve within the school community. Jobs range from office clerk, library helper, flag brigade, car door opener, and greeter, to school store operator. Students also have jobs within their classes. Through these experiences, students are gaining confidence and developing important life-long learning skills that will enrich, empower, and help them grow to be world-class citizens in the future.
Gaye Holmes, Principal
Brittany Coates, SIC Chair