June 2017

Dear Colleagues,

As the summer rhythm begins, please allow me a moment to express my gratitude for your hard work this past year and for your dedication to continue to improve your practice so that we impact more children.

Grades K to 2: I greatly appreciate the way the K to 2 grade teachers embraced improving Word Work instruction for students.  Our midyear IRI scores were the same old same old.  However, by embracing the less-than-stellar data and working to explicitly teach Word Work, the end of year data shows good improvement. Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

ELD and Content Teachers: I greatly appreciate the way ELD teachers and content teachers have embraced co-planning and co-teaching. This collaboration and merging of the expertise of language teachers and content teachers is allowing many more of our students to access grade appropriate content while also learning English. An added benefit is that while the students are learning, the teachers are learning from each other as well. We have a cohort of content teachers working to earn their ELD endorsement as well so they too can combine the toolboxes of language learning and content learning in their classrooms. Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

Finance Department: I greatly appreciate the Finance Office's work to support us working smarter. They brought revised practices to our budget development this year that resulted in even more clarity to how the budget works and a more seamless development of a budget.  They are working on a finance manual to help all of us non-finance people better understand how to request reimbursements, spend professional development dollars, etc.  Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

World Language : I greatly appreciate the World Language teachers embracing student mastery of language as the placement criteria for the various levels of language classes.  Using AAPPL to place students in various levels of language class creates a uniform system and criteria from elementary to high school.  What a collaborative effort.  Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

6 th  Grade Math : I greatly appreciate the way the sixth grade math teachers at WRMS dug into their curriculum this year and aligned their teaching with Idaho Math Standards and ISAT blueprint. They embraced the previous year's bleak data and worked smarter to improve outcomes. Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

Elementary Instructional Technology : I greatly appreciate the brave examination of the purpose and expected outcomes for elementary computer classes. They have embraced new technology standards and the charge of teaching computer science and integrating the use of technology as a tool through all content areas. They are preparing this summer to begin this new role.  Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

Communications: I greatly appreciate the Communications office embracing a review by a third party to help them identify ways to improve their practice. Even before the review is done, they have begun to implement recommendations for keeping all of our stakeholders better informed and engaged in the work of the district. Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

Graduation Rates : I appreciate all of the hard work done by a team of caring staff at WRHS to greatly increase graduation rates, especially for subgroups that have traditionally had lower rates.  The gap in graduation rates is closing due to staff working with students one-by-one to help them overcome the hurdles and cross the finish line.  Thank you for all the tutoring, encouragement, finding resources, relationship investment and just going above and beyond for each and every individual student. Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

AP District Honor Roll and Dual Credit Increases : I appreciate the incredible work being done by our advanced opportunity teachers at Carey, SCHS, and WRHS.  More than ever, students are participating with great success in AP and Dual Credit classes.  SCHS students earned college credits this year, two Carey students received their AA degrees in the same month that they graduated high school, and WRHS earned the distinction of being named to the AP Honor Roll for increasing the number of students participating in AP classes and especially students from typically underserved populations.  Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

Transportation: I appreciate the incredible spirit of team exhibited by the Transportation Department in the last six weeks of school. The impact of the bus accident was felt by every driver and transportation staff member. Down several drivers, they have united to ensure that students still get to school and home safely each day. They have examined bus routes and are creating new routes for next year that will improve service to many of our families while also absorbing reductions in the number of routes. Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

Buildings and Grounds: I appreciate the eagerness with which your team took on the mission of the district and worked to understand how we engage students and what your team could contribute to this effort. Your enthusiasm at the Quaglia workshop was contagious. Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

Teacher Advisory Councils: I appreciate the team of teachers who worked all year to better understand how to align grading practices with our belief statements. They have committed to helping us continue this journey by starting with ensuring we are clarifying for students what they are expected to know and do.  A second team worked to help us understand student engagement: Relationships, Clarity, and Challenge/Relevance. They will continue to develop their expertise next year and share their learning with us. Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

Outdoor Education at WRMS :  I appreciate the team of teachers, primarily 8th grade P.E., who worked this year to create an outdoor education program that is an extension of P.E.  This program provides rock climbing, camping, rafting, and backpacking experiences to students, especially students who do not get these experiences with their families.  They raised funds for equipment and took students on their first adventure this spring.  Thank you for continuing to improve your practice.

So as we move into the summer rhythms of rest, renewal, and continued professional development  for many school staff and increased frenzy for Technology, Buildings and Grounds, and District Office staff as they prepare for a smooth start for the 2017-18 school year, please know how deeply each of you are appreciated.  None of us can do the incredible work of preparing the next generation alone.  However, together we can prepare each and every student for the future.

With gratitude,