Evergreen after‑school acceleration draws praise for reading and writing gains

Parents, students and teachers from Evergreen Elementary told the Shelton School District board that an after‑school acceleration program has boosted reading levels, increased writing volume and raised student confidence.

Paula Kennedy, who described the program’s structure, said the sessions accelerated learning for participating students: “So we have served 35 for this, since now this without these 3 teachers behind. Melissa Loth was definitely leading, and she was is the third grade teacher at Evergreen and was our second grade teacher, and she was leading the second grade sessions,” Kennedy said.

Student Stephanie Hernandez addressed the board: “My name is Stephanie Hernandez. I am 9 years old and I'm a third grader. After School Acceleration Grama has helped me by learning how to improve my reading and typing skills. My favorite part was reading the Kingdom of Renly, during this grama.” Teacher Calvin Silva added educator perspective: “I just wanted to add a little bit of educator input to the acceleration team. I've sought not only growth in my kids, but I also saw more passion and a lot more outcomes from them. So like they were writing a lot more.”

Parents and other students echoed those remarks. Jessica Park said the program helped her daughter make friends and improve academically; Heather McCabe said her daughter moved from level K to level P and gained confidence. Several speakers thanked program staff by name, including Melissa Loth and Mrs. Acosta, and the board publicly recognized the program’s outcomes.

Why it matters: Board members praised the presentations and said they want to share effective practices across schools. The district highlighted the program as part of broader literacy and acceleration efforts.

What’s next: Speakers and board members asked for continued support of acceleration and literacy efforts; no formal board action was recorded on the program during the meeting.