Greenville Park highlights rising fifth‑grade reading proficiency and SEL supports

Sam Richardson, principal of Greenville Park Elementary School, reported to the Northfield Public School Board on Sept. 8 that the school’s fifth graders achieved 76.7% proficiency on the spring MCA reading assessment — the highest rate during Richardson’s nine years at the school and the third consecutive year at or near 70%.

Richardson framed Greenville Park’s work around the district vision and the school motto, “every gecko every day.” He credited cross‑grade collaboration, Wednesday PLC time, and district adoption of foundational literacy resources — including Bridges to Read and 95% Core Phonics — for more consistent daily instruction.

Richardson said staff completed science‑of‑reading training during PLCs and that Bridges math is entering its second implementation year. He described tiered intervention systems (MTSS/RTI), classroom SEL instruction, a behavior coach and on‑site social worker, and partnerships with local colleges and nonprofits for experiential learning.

On reading and math outcomes, Richardson said Greenville Park remains below the district aspirational target of 80% proficiency (the school is in the 60% range when pooled across tested grades) but highlighted the fifth‑grade improvement to 76.7% as evidence of progress. He told the board the school will continue PLCs focused on job‑embedded professional learning and year‑two implementation of core math resources.

Richardson described strong family engagement efforts, including high turnout for events such as the Gecko Gallery arts celebration (more than 750 attendees last year) and family‑oriented conferences that pair meals with academic conversations. He said parent satisfaction and employee engagement scores have risen and that the school will seek clearer reporting and more systematic parent feedback collection this year.

Board members asked about budget impacts and program delivery. Maggie (Board member) asked whether larger class sizes and staff travel between buildings — changes tied to district budget reductions — had affected instruction. Richardson said after six days of the school year those adjustments had been “feasible” and that teachers were experimenting with classroom systems and volunteer supports to mitigate class size impacts.

Ben (Board member) asked what share of Greenville Park staff had received training in Bridges math and the science of reading; Richardson said required training was completed and that PLC time will continue to embed curriculum training into regular practice. Amy (Board member) and other trustees encouraged the school to define how 80% and the district’s “100% growth” goals will be measured across nonacademic areas such as art, music and physical education.

Richardson closed by reiterating priorities: raise grade‑level literacy and numeracy, maintain SEL supports so 90% of students demonstrate SEL proficiency, and continue to strengthen parent and staff engagement.