This month I would like to highlight our elementary staff and their commitment to help our little readers improve their skills. We frequently assess the progress of our students, especially in reading. With new strategies in place and a sharp focus, our students have already surpassed the goals set for them at the beginning of the school year. We still have two months to go, so I can only imagine where each of our students will end up in their growth and progress. We all know that reading is an essential skill that has been tied to a lot of success factors and to a lot of negative factors when people reach adulthood and cannot read. Our adults know that they are helping predict the successes of our students. They also know the importance that parents and families play at home when it comes to children reading for the love of it. It is always easier to improve on something that we love to do. Reading is no exception.

The elementary school acquired a new reading program in the spring of 2017. They went through a lengthy process in determining which program would be right for our kids. The reviews from the new program were very good and are proving to be a good fit for us. About a year ago, they approached the reading hour throughout the school in a different way. They did their research and visited other schools to find best practices. I have been excited to see it in action, and I am happy to report that they are making huge strides. I appreciate their hard work and diligence in this important process. Every staff member up there cares about each student individually. They want each student to read at grade level, and as a result, they are doing everything they can to make that happen. We are fortunate to have quality people working with our students. With a great staff and helpful parents, all of our kids can have the world opened up to them through reading. I send a big heartfelt thank you and congratulations to our elementary people for their efforts in our children’s behalf.

Jerre Holmes

Superintendent