Elementary School Administrators Share Improvement Plans With School Committee

School administrators from both Lynnfield Elementary Schools detailed their improvement plans for the next academic year during last week's School Committee meeting.  The Committee previously heard Middle and High School improvement plans at their last meeting on May 10th.

Elementary officials explained to the Committee that the improvement plans enhance teaching, learning, and student achievement at the Huckleberry Hill and Summer Street Elementary Schools.

Summer Street School principal, Jane Tremblay, informed the Committee that a task force was developed at the elementary level.  The group was formed to examine desired behaviors for students to ensure a fair and safe learning climate.  “We feel that the plan that we’re putting forward tonight is very challenging and rigorous academically.  We are putting this forward based on the resources that we have today at the elementary level,” Tremblay maintained.  

The Summer Street School principal also mentioned the importance of teachers being open to student concerns, stressing the need for creating genuine faculty-student relationships.  “We really looked at the relationships in the building,” Tremblay added.  “Teachers are much more visible this year, in the hallways, at arrival, at dismissal.”

Committee members were impressed with the improvement plans and the quality of the initiatives being offered by Elementary School officials. “This is what the best elementary district in the state produces,” declared Committee member James Fagan.

Fagan questioned what the Lynnfield school district would look like if the town override question is not passed. 

“I think the question for our community is, do we want to be number one or do we want to have a plan that is going to be revised and be band aids?” Fagan asked.  He continued: “You can’t tell me that assessments are going to look anything like this, with proposed cuts that we’re talking about.”

Huckleberry Hill School Principal, Brian Bemis, also discussed character goals for the 2011-2012 year.  Bemis highlighted the Huckleberry Hero program which began last fall. The program has evolved into a successful initiative that rewards students at school and at home for exhibiting strong character traits. 

The five character themes that are included in the program are: respect, empathy, responsibility, perseverance, and kindness.  Bemis noted that each theme was emphasized for consecutive two month periods during the school year.  Every morning, the Hero Pledge is recited after announcements.  “The program has really become part of the culture of our school,” Bemis continued.  “The themes have successfully been integrated into the curriculum, which was the goal of this,” Bemis asserted.

Committee Chair Dorothy Presser was pleased with the reports from the Elementary School leaders.  “I loved how comprehensive these school improvement plans were… It’s so important and it is so helpful for all the students that are in the school to have all those resources,” Presser concluded.