Have a Great Year
I would like to express a warm welcome to our families as we start another school year together! All of us at the Eden Valley-Watkins School District are excited to work with you and make this school year a great experience. As you know, we have some big changes coming this school year. The state is now providing fully-funded kindergarten and nutritious free lunch to all of our students who can?Äôt afford it. We?Äôve recently implemented a Teacher Mentorship Program endorsed by our staff development committee and approved by our school board. We have high hopes for the success and professional development of our new mentees, and anticipate a positive return on our investment into our new hires. Curriculum Director, Sharon Borgert will provide oversight and coordinate the duties and responsibilities of mentors, and also monitor the progress of this new program.
2014-15 marks the implementation of our recently adopted teacher development and evaluation protocol that will provide staff with ongoing self-assessments, valuable feedback, and resources for professional development. We?Äôve worked hard to create a local assessment tool that is fair and will also provide teachers with meaningful feedback.
This year also marks the beginning of new anti-bullying efforts across the state. The Safe and Supportive Schools Act is meant to supplement and strengthen the current efforts already in place at Eden Valley-Watkins Schools. One of the core initiatives in our strategic plan is to make sure students feel safe and secure each and every day.
The staff development committee in conjunction with the PLC initiative committee researched and developed a PLC model that was endorsed by the Union and approved by the School Board in the spring of 2014. PLC?Äôs, or Professional Learning Communities provides staff with opportunities to meet on a monthly basis and contribute to the research, investigation, and collaborative discussions on educational topics that will improve the learning environment, enhance instructional strategies, and ultimately increase student achievement.
As the school year starts, please remember to frequently communicate with teachers and set aside quality family time to help keep our students well rested, healthy, and organized for the demands of a challenging and rewarding school experience.
Let?Äôs work together and make this another great year.
Weekly Quote
?ÄúDon?Äôt let your successes get to your head and don?Äôt let your failures get to your heart.?Äù
Elizabeth Taylor
Opening Day Enrollment
I?Äôm excited to report that our enrollment numbers for the 2014-15 school year have increased as projected. On the first day of school we recorded 534 elementary students in grades K-6, and 417 secondary students in grades 7-12. Our current year total of 951 students exceeds June, 2014 totals by 13 students.