Dear Paul School Parents, Guardians & Residents,
A new school year has just started after a busy summer in SAU 101. A great deal of progress has been made in getting our new SAU up and running, but we still have a way to go before we are the high functioning central office we want to be. I am appreciative of the support from the Wakefield School Community during our first year of operation. It is a community that deserves and will have our best efforts focused on the success of all Wakefield students.
Our School Board met over the summer to set Board goals for the FY19 school year. The Board is establishing two new committees – one to investigate space needs at the Paul School and the other to review, implement and support afterschool programs that create new learning opportunities for students. If anyone in the community is interested in participating on either committee or receiving minutes from the committee meetings, please go to our website at www.sau101.org for a form to submit to the Board. All subcommittee meetings are open to the public.
The Paul School is beginning the year with a few new faces. Please see the Paul School page of this website for introductions. We will be working to improve the website to provide both more and timely information. Currently all school closings are posted on the website as well as all School Board meetings, agendas, minutes and policies. The Paul School page will be adding log-in information for parents as the new PowerSchool Parent Portal is being opened. We are always looking for more and better ways to let the community know what is happening in our schools. Please check in frequently.
The opening days and first few weeks of school are for building collective capacity for the work that staff will be doing. This year that work is on various aspects of literacy. Grades Pre-K through 3 are implementing a literacy block, -sacred time for reading and writing instruction, as well as time for additional instruction for those students who need a little more time to acquire skills. Grades 4-6 are working on meeting the literacy needs for all students with strategies for content literacy which provide ways for students to engage and show their learning. Grades 7 and 8 as well as staff in Integrated Arts are focused on writing across all content areas and content vocabulary strategies. Mathematics remains a focus at every grade level. This year a group of teachers will be attending the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference in the fall in Hartford, Connecticut.
We are happy to partner with the Wakefield Police Department to add a School Resource Officer to the Paul School. For FY19, officers currently on staff will rotate through the school. Once a budget for an SRO is approved by the town and school in March, an SRO officer will be hired. This position is an essential component to the safety and security of Wakefield students, as well as an opportunity to strengthen positive connections to families and community.
I anticipate that the excellent district staff we have will always be looking to make positive changes in the learning environments, learning activities, and supports for learning in FY19. Your feedback on how we are doing is always welcome. Consider attending Board meetings on the first and third Tuesday of the month held at the Paul School Library, sending email to info@sau101.org, or calling for a drop in.
Sincerely,
Christine Tyrie, Ed.D
Superintendent, Wakefield School District