Hillcrest Elementary implements new language arts curriculum

Hillcrest Elementary implemented its new language arts program at the beginning of the school year. The curriculum called ReadyGEN allows students to set goals and track their own progress on achieving their objectives.

“We’re really excited about it,” said Eric Markworth, the principal of Hillcrest Elementary. “Sometimes our students come in and they’re behind. We want to expect at least one year's growth from each student.”

According to Susanne Kuresa, the human resource services director of Logan City School District, goals give the students an opportunity to reflect on on what they have to do to achieve their objectives.

“Anytime kids have an awareness of where they are and how they’re doing and what comes next in their achievements, I think that they are better able to participate and take ownership for that learning,” Kuresa said. “I think that’s a great way to include students and to outline where they need to go and how they’re going to get there.”

Markworth said some students might need some extra help and this program allows the school to give more time and intensity to those students.

“They’re making their own personal and own academic goals,” Markworth said. “We feel like it’s challenging kids to think at a higher level than ever before. That’s what we want them to do. We want them to come out college and career ready by the time they graduate from high school. We think that our small piece of that is a really valuable piece.”

Ellis Elementary prepares for revamping of science program

Ellis Elementary has changed their curriculum in preparation for the statewide changes to the science program next school year. Principal Sue Sorenson said that she expects the new core to follow the Next Generation Science Standards, which has been adopted by 26 states.

“We’re trying to use the core we currently have, that the teachers know really well, and trying to incorporate that deeper questioning side to what we already know,” Sorenson said. “So when the new core comes in it won’t be such an adjustment for us. We’re trying to think ahead.”

Sorenson said they might have asked surface questions like, what color the sky is. With the changes, students are encouraged to use high order thinking to answer thought provoking questions.

“My question to them was, ‘I was diagnosed and my doctor said that I could not eat things that had fungi properties. What couldn’t I eat?’” Sorenson said. “So that would be that deeper thinking that they have to go through and think, ‘Well what is it that she couldn’t have?’”

Susanne Kuresa, the human resource services director of Logan City School District said it was smart for Ellis to prepare for the changes.

“Anytime there is a change in curriculum, it is not an overnight implementation or response for that change,” Kuresa said. “Anticipating that, doing some preliminary work and being ahead of that is certainly going to be to their benefit.”

Woodruff Elementary to focus on students affected by mobility rate

Woodruff Elementary has a new goal to provide help to students that move in and out of the elementary’s boundaries. On Nov. 10, Principal Spencer Holmgren provided this among other goals to the Logan City School District. Holmgren plans for the school to get to know the incoming students and where they’re at in their education, as well as helping exiting students be self-sufficient learners.

“Our demographic is around 70 percent low socioeconomic status and about 16-17 percent high mobility, which means that a student could be started at our school and move like four times throughout the year,” Holmgren said.

Holmgren said this can be a huge challenge to education.

“While we’ve got them here, we’ve got to take advantage of that time,” Holmgren said. “The school has to jump on it quick and they have to have something that they can really help that student with during that time, because they’re probably not going to stay.”

Teachers try to help incoming children get in pace with where the class is in its curriculum.

“For incoming students, I seat them next to the kids whom I know will help them with the day to day rules and procedures of our classroom,” said Sally Bair, a fourth-grade teacher at Woodruff. “Students are often disoriented and behind when they have moved from one district, state or school to another. This helps them meet new friends and find someone they are willing to ask questions to as well.”

Bair had an issue in her class last year with an incoming student.

“Last year, I got a kid the day before we started state testing and that student was required to test along with the rest of my class even though I had not taught them anything,” Bair said.

Holmgren said he wants to make sure that these students are given the chance to do well.

“We want to help these kids to not only be able to succeed while they are here, but we want them to become self-motivated learners,” Holmgren said.

Adams Elementary to receive new look in preparation for Leader in Me event

Adams Elementary is getting redesigned following the incorporation of its new Leader in Me program, based on Stephen Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” On Jan. 28 during the last couple hours of school, community members and stakeholders will be invited to see how this program has been integrated into Adams Elementary. This allows students to showcase how they are incorporating the seven habits in their own lives, as well as show the school’s new look.

“The event is designed for parents and the community to learn about the Leader in Me program,” said Cari Bodily, a fifth-grade teacher and part of the school’s Leader in Me program.

The teachers plan to display the school’s mission statement and are currently deciding what to paint and what quotes should be put on the west entrance and some of the halls.

“Right now we’re in the process of getting paint and things to change up the way our school looks so it can reflect that we’re a leadership school,” said Jordan Anderson, a first-grade teacher, also part of the school’s Leader in Me program.

Anderson said they were changing what the school looks like so it becomes more of a leadership-creative environment.

“More will be decided once we have solidified what exactly is going to be put up,” Anderson said. “We have options that are under debate currently, however, no final decisions have been made.”

Adams Elementary incorporates Leader in Me program

At the beginning of this school year, Adams Elementary began applying the Leader in Me program to its curriculum. It is a Franklin Covey program designed to help children be successful and happy. The school received an $8,000 grant in joining the program. Leader in Me incorporates seven habits from Stephen Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

“It has been a really fun change, especially because it’s only been a few months since this has really been introduced to the kids,” said Jordan Anderson, a first-grade teacher. “It’s been really fun to see them really grab hold of it and really have a good understanding of the seven habits of what it really means to be a successful person and a happy person.”

Anderson is also the representative for first-graders and kindergartners on the Lighthouse team. This team consists of teachers chosen to represent the different grades in Adams for the Leader in Me program. The meetings are open to any other teacher that would like to come.

Part of the program includes students being in charge of jobs around the classroom and the school. Fifth-grade students are in charge of announcements as well as helping younger students with announcements. Cari Bodily, a fifth-grade teacher and part of the Lighthouse team, gives students jobs that vary from class librarian to supervisor of the class responsibilities.

“I have a student who said, ‘I’m getting bored. I need more to do.’ So we found another job that needed to be done,” said Bodily.

“Even in a first-grade classroom all the children have jobs,” said Anderson. “They may not have a job every day, but they all have had a job.”

During one of the parent nights, the fifth grade was in charge of posters and fliers. One of the students said that the fliers needed to be bilingual. The students then wrote a Spanish version on the other side of the fliers.

“The kids not only thought of it, but they took care it,” said Bodily.

Bodily and Anderson said they have already noticed a difference since the program has been implemented.

“We have noticed in our school that kids have been kinder to each other,” said Bodily.

“It’s been fun to see out on the playground,” said Anderson. “I still have a lot of kids that don’t know how to zip up their coats or tie their shoes. But older kids, even ones that aren’t siblings, will just notice that this kid is really struggling to zip up his coat or tie up his shoe. They’ll just sit down and help them.”