Eatonville School Board hears elementary improvement plan

On May 10, the Eatonville School Board had a work study meeting at Eatonville Elementary. The presentation began with students presenting with Art Specialist Renee Ricketts. Joey, Johanna and Aubrey presented their artwork and what art concepts they were learning to the School Board.

Principal Nick Birklid presented the Eatonville Elementary School Improvement Plan for 2022-23. The plan centered around three goals in the areas of math, English language arts and behavior/social emotional learning.

The primary focus for the first two goals in the areas of math and ELA were around the area of academic intervention. This has been a primary focus due to the academic gaps and struggles students have after the part few school years. Birklid discussed the data that has been used in identifying academic struggles and the scheduling of intervention time within the school day at EES. 

He shared some success that has been seen in kindergarten interventions with struggling learners as well as the work that is being done piloting the iReady Program. Birklid also shared some success that EES has seen with community engagement with high turnouts for both their ELA and math family nights this school year. 

He then shared the work that will be done next year to try to narrow the focus of curricula and tools available in order to get targeted training for both teachers and paraeducators. This will also staff to better provide instruction to students in both core and interventions. Birklid also shared the need for additional paraeducator support and space.

Lastly, information was shared about the third EES goal that focused on behavior and social emotional learning. Birkid shared that the focus of this goal was to make it fun being back at school and to clearly communicate expectations to students. He shared the positive behavior interventions and supports structures that EES is implementing and the plan to expand these systems in the future. 

He thanked the School Board and Interim Superintendent Lucy Fountain for their support this school year and his staff for all of their hard work for EES students.