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Fremont City Schools presenters highlight student responsibility, literacy gains and SEL programs
Summary
Otis Elementary and Ross High presenters told the board they are using building-level strategies—clubs, safety patrol, a 10-step writing process, and SEL curricula (Start With Hello, Say Something)—to teach responsibility and improve literacy; Ross High reported notable gains in writing proficiency over three years.
At a Fremont City Schools board meeting focused on the district’s year‑three strategic plan, building leaders from Otis Elementary and Ross High described classroom and extracurricular steps the district is using to promote student responsibility, literacy and social‑emotional learning.
Joshua Matz of Otis Elementary summarized classroom routines and extracurricular clubs that aim to teach self‑responsibility. He described adviser‑led opportunities—safety patrol, Men With Manners, Make a Difference Club and news crew—that create practice and leadership roles for students.
"Responsibility is something that gets taught," Matz said, describing repeated practice and role modeling used at the elementary level.
A student, Brock Kroll, spoke about his role on safety patrol, telling the board he supervises crosswalks, speaks to first graders and helps teachers during Courtesy Cardinals. "The best part about this is that I can make new friends too," Brock said.
Ryan Norris, Ross High School, described a three‑year literacy rollout that began with a 10‑step writing process, writing maps and rubrics, and moved through collaborative implementation. He said staff collected quarterly writing samples and adjusted supports for struggling and advanced learners. Norris also described social‑emotional learning (SEL) initiatives adopted after COVID, including the Sandy Hook Promise resources and the district programs "Start With Hello" and "Say Something," which he said help students connect and report concerns.
Norris reported test‑score movement tied to the literacy work: "Over the 3 years, we had a 21% growth in the students who score proficient in writing from 2022 to 2023," he said, and described further gains through 2024 along with a decline in the percentage of students scoring in the limited category.
Board members asked whether all students participate in SEL lessons and how smaller groups are formed; administrators said lessons are delivered monthly to all students and that counselors and teachers identify students for smaller groups when appropriate.
Next steps: the board will continue reflections on the strategic plan (staff in a later month, community in January) and begin drafting the next three‑year plan after stakeholder meetings in early 2025.
