Superintendent

View Dr. Campbell's Video Message

Dear Parents,

Seven weeks into the school year, our students are settled into the routine and our educators have focused on building strong relationships with students and creating a nurturing safe community within their classrooms. We believe that this focused start on relationships and wellness was critical after 16 months of the pandemic and the toll it took on all of us. Our goal is for our students to feel safe, heighten their learning and continue to grow and reach new academic and personal achievements.

In order to measure progress of our students, we give them assessments at several points in the year. We’ve now completed our first cycle of assessments and on Friday, will be sending reports to parents on how your child in grades K-8 performed on the NWEA MAP test. With the test will be a letter explaining how to interpret the results.

Our District uses the data from assessments in a variety of ways. In the classroom, it provides teachers with a means for monitoring student growth over time and examining areas for improvement so they can adjust their instruction. At the school and District level, assessment data help us set goals and evaluate curriculum. Finally, in conjunction with other criteria, MAP scores may be considered when providing additional support and intervention. You can view our assessments and assessment calendar on our webpage under “Assessments and Data Collections.”

In addition, at tomorrow's Institute Day, teachers will work in teams to analyze student performance data, specifically identifying areas of student need. The teams will then work on adapting their curriculum and instruction to meet the varied needs of our students.

Also at Institute Day tomorrow, our teachers will also be working on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) practices that will help guide and support our students. Social Emotional Learning practices are critical life skills that help students be successful in school and life. The five areas of focus in our SEL program are self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, social awareness and relationship skills. These competencies will be woven into all areas of our curriculum.

Finally, as we transition into fall, we are going to continue all of our COVID mitigations to keep our students and staff healthy and safe. One mitigation is to use the outdoors as much as possible. In order to do that, we are asking parents to be mindful of dressing their child for their weather and in layers. I also wanted to remind everyone to remain vigilant as we head into the colder months and continue wearing masks and social distancing.

Thank you all for your cooperation during this uncertain time and your partnership in ensuring your student’s ongoing success. I am so happy that we are continuing to move Forward Together!

Sincerely,

Dr. Keisha Campbell
Superintendent
Elmhurst School District 205