Greetings Eagle Community,
I have worked at four schools in my 30 years in the MVSD. At every school, I was impressed by the professionalism of the staff and the desire to see students achieve at high levels. Each school has traits that are unique to them, which is a part of their culture. One common factor to all schools is the content they teach. The same curriculum with essentially the same pace of learning. This is important because if your child ends up attending a new school next year they will continue to get a great education from where they left off at Jefferson. They will continue to be cared for and be around people who want them to succeed, no matter which school they attend. This commitment common to everyone who works for Mount Vernon Schools. I work closely with all the elementary principals and I can tell you they all have the same interest in high quality education in a caring environment. That will not change for your child. There may be changes ahead that can be scary simply because of the unknown. It will be OK. Different, but OK.
Next year: Jefferson is going to drop in student population to around 450 from 510 and have two less teachers. We expect about one third of our students to be new to Jefferson. We will have a half-time vice principal. So even for those staying at Jefferson, things will be different. Change keeps us growing. By keeping a growth mindset, we will meet all the challenges ahead productively.
We used the Interim Practice Assessment results for 5th grade Enrichment/ Intervention instruction this past month. We looked at the results of the SBA math practice tests to plan instruction for the concepts/skills that cause students to struggle. We are seeing significant improvements in scores when students take the test again after their E/I time.
This month we get into the state SBA testing
schedule. The test is a bit shorter this year but is still a major commitment for the students. It is also a serious measuring stick for us. We will be testing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during May so please see that your child is well rested the night before those days.
As always, if you have a question, please stop by or give me a call.
Sincerely,
Tim Newall Principal, Jefferson Elementary School
1810 E. Blackburn Road Mount Vernon, WA 98274
360.428.6128 / Fax 360.428.6159 tnewall@mvsd320.org