Elementary principals report smooth start, reading goals and community events as school year begins

Elementary principals and district leaders told the Shawnee Heights Board of Education on Sept. 2 that the school year has begun smoothly and highlighted classroom goals, staffing, facilities work and community events.

Barrington Principal (identified in the meeting as) Miss Burbert said staff attended a professional learning communities conference in Minneapolis and ran a two-day Quantum Learning leadership camp for rising fourth- through sixth-graders on July 22–23. Burbert noted the school will host a new fall festival at Shively Farm from 1 to 4 p.m. on a Sunday (with a rain date of the following Sunday, Sept. 14) and reviewed the schedule for weeklong grandparents’ events Sept. 8–12. She also thanked facilities staff for arranging a new parking area and said Barrington is receiving a new roof this year.

Tecumseh North Principal Miss Hayes reported on building-level reading goals tied to district priorities. Hayes said the district aims for 70% of students to be at reading benchmark and provided initial fall benchmark percentages for second through sixth grades: second grade 63%, third 60%, fourth 54%, fifth 54% and sixth 67%. Hayes described interventions the school plans to use — expanded reading specialists, interventionists, tutors, peer classroom observations and targeted feedback — and said winter benchmark goals aim to move most grades closer to the 70% target.

Tecumseh South Principal Mister Dio described staffing and community connections as key to recruitment and retention. Dio said the school welcomed four new teachers — recruited by existing staff — and noted two retirements. He described programs that connect elementary students with high-school activities and extracurriculars as part of a strategy to build long-term attachment to the district.

Superintendent Meggers told the board the district newsletter went out earlier that day with items on attendance, a foundation golf tournament, bond-town-hall dates and "T-Bird Talks" (parent information events). She said the district is continuing community outreach about a possible bond, with three town-hall meetings planned (one at Barrington, one at the middle school and one at the high school), and that the district website’s bond pages are being updated. Meggers also noted fall athletics have started and invited board members and the community to attend the first home football game Friday against Washburn Rural.

All three principals and the superintendent framed their remarks as progress updates; no formal board action was taken on these items during the meeting.