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Lee Elementary describes Soar to Read and Number Ninjas programs to board

Aberdeen School District 06-1 Board of Education · January 13, 2026
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Summary

Lee Elementary principal presented the school's Soar to Read literacy program (using UFLI curriculum) and the Number Ninjas math-fluency program, reporting about 60 students participating in Number Ninjas and regular progress monitoring for reading groups.

Lee Elementary Principal Mister Osborne presented two instructional programs to the Aberdeen School District 06-1 board at the Jan. 12 meeting: Soar to Read, which uses the UFLI curriculum for targeted small-group reading instruction, and Number Ninjas, a timed multiplication-facts program intended to build fluency and confidence.

Osborne described Soar to Read as a daily small-group rotation that begins with a districtwide "eagle screech" at 9:05 a.m. to signal students to move to level-based instruction. The program uses short, focused stations (phonemic awareness, phonics, application/reading, encoding/spelling and a sentence-writing element) and progress monitoring every six weeks to adjust group placement. Osborne said the program aims to deepen foundational skills without pushing students too far ahead of grade-level expectations.

On Number Ninjas, Osborne said the school currently has about 60 students enrolled across groups typically ranging from 9 to 15 students. The activity includes a weekly competitive format in which students have one minute to answer 40 multiplication problems. Students Avery and Ryker described Number Ninjas as a fun and competitive way to practice math facts; Avery said she had achieved a purple belt and noted there are nine belts in the program.

Board members praised the programs and encouraged colleagues to visit classrooms during the 9:05 rotations. Osborne and teachers credited support staff and volunteers for helping run the activities; several board members described Number Ninjas as a highly enthusiastic event that encouraged perseverance and camaraderie among students.

The board received the report; no formal action was required.