Fawn Mountain Elementary highlights social‑emotional programs; district reports conditional pre‑K funding approval

Ketchikan — Fawn Mountain Elementary principal Adi Roth presented an overview of staffing, student assessment and social‑emotional programming at the Sept. 24 Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District board meeting, and highlighted plans for new spaces, inclusion training and after‑school activities.

Roth told the board the school currently enrolls 172 students and houses one of the district’s IEA preschool classrooms. She summarized assessment results and described progress‑monitoring practices used to drive small group instruction: “This is what we use to drive our small group instruction … we progress monitor our students’ progress every two weeks,” Roth said.

Roth outlined a range of supports and changes this year: morning meetings in the gym with land acknowledgments and weekly traits, project‑funded calm corners and social‑emotional curricula for pre‑K‑3, implementation of Trust‑Based Relational Intervention (training delivered by Community Connections), and monthly SEL check‑ins. She also described a new science room, art room and an RTI/indoor recess room, and reported plans to deploy playground communication boards to help nonverbal students communicate with peers.

Why it matters: The principal’s presentation detailed classroom practices and school facilities that affect early literacy and student behavior. In the meeting’s reports, Member Ginter said the district had been awarded conditional approval for 0.5 ADM funding for 4‑ and 5‑year‑olds in pre‑K — funding the district had not previously received for preschoolers. Ginter noted that the district must now work through funding implications and meet program requirements to retain the funds in future years.

Board reaction and next steps: Board members congratulated Schonbar Middle School for a separate national recognition noted earlier in the meeting and asked Roth about fundraising needs for travel to the AMLE conference. On pre‑K funding, the board’s staff and administration said they would work with principals and IEA preschool staff to document requirements and address any gaps to remain compliant with state funding conditions.

Ending: Roth invited board members to a student‑of‑the‑month assembly and described plans for after‑school clubs and tutoring. The board did not take a formal vote on the programs or funding at the Sept. 24 meeting; staff said they will continue work on funding details and return with information as required.