Dear Scott Families –
As our school year comes to a close, I’d like to take a moment to thank each and every one of you. I thank you for sending your children to school every day, for trusting me with their safety and growth, and for partnering with me to ensure they are successful every day. The Scott staff and I could not do it without you.
Needless to say, the energy in the building is busting at the seams. While many are counting down the days and thinking about summer break, it is also a great time to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished. Together we’ve learned quite a bit. We’ve learned about traditional academic topics, about how to improve our social/emotional skills, and about how to be an integral part of a community. Hopefully, what we’ve learned and the positive experiences we’ve had will remain with us long past the last day of school.
The Scott Staff has learned quite a bit as well. Our school improvement plan focused on increasing rigor, how to provide more meaningful and relevant feedback to students, and how to create a classroom culture that proactively supports high levels of engagement and positive behavior. Next year, we are going to continue this focus but with a specific emphasis on math instruction.
As a principal in year two at Scott, I’ve also learned quite a bit. Some of what I’ve learned is as concrete as how to (or how not to) run a more safe and efficient arrival/dismissal plan. While this is a work in progress, I believe we are better now than we were two years ago. I’ve also learned some more general skills related to better understanding our community, partnering with all stakeholders, and collectively working towards a vision where all students can be successful…every day.
As you start to think about summer, I ask one favor. Please dedicate consistent time to read aloud with your child. Whether they are going into 5th grade or kindergarten, the research is clear - reading aloud with your child has tremendous benefits. According to a blogpost I recently read via Twitter (https://happyyouhappyfamily.com/raising-smart-kids
- Your child will hear a wider variety of words.
- You grow your child’s brain, literally.
- You put her/him on the path to be a lifelong reader.
- Your child’s behavior will improve.
- You build a stronger bond with your child.
- You increase your child’s capacity for empathy.
I encourage you to read this blogpost. It addresses some common barriers/challenges to reading aloud with your child. I will be much better at reading with my children this summer as a result of reading this post!
Thanks for being my partner! I’ve once again had a blast and consider myself lucky to be a part of your community! If you need anything from me, please call the office or just stop by. I’ll be in the office almost all summer!
Have a great summer break!
Sincerely, Hugh Boger
