Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast - Week 18: A Good Fall Semester

Episode Date: December 20, 2023

Happy Wednesday!I am proud to congratulate each of you for the academic achievements our students have gained this semester. Your dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to our students' education have yielded exceptional academic results, as detailed in our latest update.In our K-5 grades, the growth in reading skills has been phenomenal. Every student showed progress, with an average growth ranging from 51 to 83 points, surpassing the 60-point benchmark that signifies advancement to the next level. This is a testament to your effective teaching strategies, adherence to plans and curriculum, and the nurturing learning environment you have created. Particularly noteworthy is the highest growth observed in Kindergarten (83 points) and 4th grade (77 points), showcasing your ability to adapt and cater to the diverse needs of our young learners.Mathematics, a critical skill for future success, also saw impressive growth in 3rd through 5th grades. An average increase of 35 points and an equivalent of “7 months” of growth in a single semester is a clear indicator of the effective learning strategies and interventions you have employed. This success in a subject often perceived as challenging speaks volumes about your teaching prowess and the supportive learning atmosphere in our classrooms.For grades 6-12, the strategic intervention schedule has proven to be highly effective. In Math, ELA, and Science, a significant number of students showed substantial growth, with 79.07% in Math, 87% in ELA, and 45.3% in Science demonstrating improvement. These figures are not just numbers; they represent the hard work, perseverance, and dedication of both our students and you, our esteemed educators.Moreover, our students' performance in the ATLAS Interim Science assessment, where they scored above the state average, particularly in the 6th and 8th grades, is a clear indicator of the quality of education at our school. These achievements are a direct result of your commitment to excellence in education and your ability to inspire and motivate our students.Here is a link to the report that was provided to the board last night.As we move forward, we will continue to build on this momentum, striving for even greater heights in academic excellence. Your efforts are not only shaping the minds of our students but also ensuring a brighter future for them and our community.Thank you for your extraordinary efforts and for making Mena Public Schools a place where students thrive and excel. We should return in 2024 looking forward to more achievements in the spring!I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!At Mena Public Schools our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.Have a restful holiday break! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bearcatwrap.substack.com

Good afternoon and welcome to the week 18 wrap-up entitled A Good Fall Semester. There's still some data to be collected in January, but we are able to see that the fall of 2023 was productive. Happy Wednesday. I'm proud to congratulate each of you for the academic achievements our students have gained this semester. Your dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to our students' education have yielded exceptional academic results as detailed in our latest update. In our K-5 grades, the growth in reading skills has been phenomenal. Every student showed progress with an average growth ranging from 51 to 83 points, surpassing the 60-point benchmark that signifies advancement to the next level. This is a testament to your effective teaching strategies, adherence to plans and curriculum, and the nurturing learning environment you have created. Particularly noteworthy is the highest growth observed in kindergarten, 83 points, and fourth grade, 77 points,

showcasing your ability to adapt and cater to the diverse needs of our young learners. Mathematics, a critical skill for future success, also saw impressive growth in third through fifth grades. An average increase of 35 points and an equivalent of seven months of growth in a single semester is a clear indicator of the effective learning strategies and interventions you have employed. This success is in a subject often perceived as challenging speaks volumes to your teaching prowess and the supportive learning atmosphere in our classrooms. For grades 6 through 12, the strategic intervention schedule has proven to be highly effective. In math, ELA, and science, a significant number of students showed substantial growth, with 79.07% in math, 87% in ELA, and 45.3% in science, demonstrating improvement.

These figures are not just numbers. They represent the hard work, perseverance, and dedication of both our students and you, our esteemed educators. Moreover, our students' performance in the ATLAS interim assessment, where they scored above the state average, particularly in 6th and 8th grade, is a clear indicator of the quality of education at our school. These achievements are a direct result of your commitment to excellence in education and your ability to inspire and motivate our students. There's a link in the text to the actual report that was given to the board last night.

As we move forward, we will continue to build on this momentum, striving for even greater heights in academic excellence. Your efforts are not only shaping the minds of our students, but also ensuring a bright future for them and our community. Thank you for your extraordinary efforts and for making Mena Public Schools a place where students thrive and excel. We should return in 2024 looking forward to more achievements in the spring. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. At Mena Public Schools, our students are prepared, our staff is supportive, and our community is confident. Have a restful holiday break.