Proxman principal outlines data-driven instruction and daily social-emotional morning meetings

Kathy Zapita, principal at Proxman Elementary, told the Lake Central board on Nov. 3 that her school's twofold vision this year centers on professional learning communities to guide instruction and daily morning meetings to strengthen students' social-emotional skills.

'Proxman is committed to using data as a powerful tool to inform instruction,' Zapita said, describing weekly grade-level or subject-area team meetings that use district and classroom data (exit tickets, iReady, IXL, iRead, iLearn checkpoints and district assessments) to form flexible WIN groups for reteaching, remediation and enrichment. Zapita said she and her assistant review collaboration sheets each week, meet with teacher groups and invite reading and math interventionists when needed.

On the social-emotional side, Zapita said Proxman conducts daily morning meetings of roughly 10 to 15 minutes where students greet one another, practice a breathing or coping strategy and take part in short community-building activities. She described classroom practices such as a 'talking piece' to promote active listening and student-led group activities that help children learn empathy and communication skills.

Zapita said the combination of data-driven instruction and intentional relationship-building is the foundation for improving student outcomes. Board members responded with praise and asked clarifying questions about meeting frequency and classroom implementation; Zapita said staff walk classrooms to monitor fidelity and that the principal team 'leads with relationships.'