February 19

Dear Parents:
I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and a restful President’s Day weekend. I certainly enjoyed the long weekend. It helped me prepare for the Swift Creek Prinicpal’s Summit on Tuesday, February 19th. We had several staff members, central office members, and parents that got together to discuss improvement strategies for Swift Creek. I believe we have a wonderful school, but we are always looking for ways to get better. The three main topics revolved around defining our school vision (Everyone will learn and succeed!), discussing ways to improve school climate for our School Improvement Plan, and brainstorming ways to prepare students for 21st Century learning. It was a great meeting and I appreciate everyone that took time out of their busy days to help us improve. If you have any thoughts on these topics and were unable to attend, please feel free to let me or Mr. Umstead know. The more feedback we receive, the better we can meet the needs of all of our students!
I wanted to also give you some information about the School Improvement process. Every three years, all schools look at ways to improve. Our staff has been meeting weekly, studying data, and coming up with strategies to improve in three critical areas. We have been looking at ways to improve literacy instruction, math instruction, and school climate. This has been a busy time as we have to continue working hard to focus on the learning of all children and carve out time for extra meetings. Therefore, when you see the teachers in the halls, give them a pat on the back. We already have the best and hardest working staff in the nation. Fortunately for me and your children, they are also dedicated to working harder during this important time of school improvement.
Thanks for all you do and a special reminder to fourth grade parents: On March 4th we will have the fourth grade writing test. You will be getting a lot more information as that date arrives, but this is an early heads up as the first of many tests arrives.
Until next time – keep on ROARing!
Jim