Dear Parents and Community Members,

     One of my goals, and a goal for every teacher at James Morris School, is to have an open line of communication between home and school. These weekly e-blasts are intended to provide you with information that is both useful and meaningful. I also welcome and encourage emails (gweik@rsd6.org), phone calls and visits. I appreciate hearing your concerns as well as accolades about James Morris School. I also encourage you to visit our school website. All JMS teachers have a goal to update their webpages on a regular basis with useful information that students and families can access from home. Students often use their classroom websites during school to access sites with challenging content area activities, so they can help you reach these sites from home. It is my belief that a strong connection between the school and families leads to positive educational outcomes for our students. Please let us know what you think of our efforts.

     The staffs at JMS and throughout Region 6 are taking great strides to improve instruction and learning for our students. Here are some of initiatives that are underway: 

* the implementation of a pre-school program (housed here at JMS and GCS)

* the implementation of full-day kindergarten

* STAR data assessment to inform instruction and support services

* using our support specialists (Mrs. Connery, Mrs. Spino, and Mrs. Moore) to offer support to teachers and services to students.

* using a variety of technology as support interventions such as Lexia Learning, Reflex Math and Reading A to Z.

* training teachers to implement "First Steps" to identify and correct student mathematical misconceptions

* training teachers to implement SPIRE reading to improve student decoding skills and reading fluency

     Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, I will not send an e-blast next week. Therefore, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a safe, healthy, and happy holiday.

Sincerely,

Guy Weik