Willow Creek principal outlines new mission, teaching practices and playground grant
Loading...
Summary
Willow Creek Elementary Principal Robin Johnson told the Fremont County School District #25 board about a new school mission, teacher collaboration on curriculum and behavior, a playground grant for younger students, volunteer support and remaining challenges with consistency and tiered instruction.
Robin Johnson, principal of Willow Creek Elementary, told the board that the school this year adopted a formal mission "to empower stronger minds, stronger hearts, and stronger communities," and described changes intended to align instruction and strengthen school culture.
Johnson said teachers use districtwide long-term planning days and a shared behavior matrix "so that we would know when a given situation arises, what do we do and how are we consistent with that?" She described classroom observations, collegial rounds and videotaped lessons to support alignment and said those steps have helped address foundational gaps identified by phonics and math screeners.
Johnson highlighted community and family engagement: "Kindness day is a big deal at Willow Creek," she said, describing schoolwide service projects, and credited volunteers, including a trustee and spouse who serve weekly in the lunchroom. She also told trustees that the parent group secured a "large amount of money" for a playground expansion designed for younger students that the school will share with the community.
The principal also described areas for growth, including sustaining consistent expectations across the year, managing teaching time for restorative conversations, and fully implementing a new elementary lesson-plan format intended to increase first-time mastery. "That's gonna require a lot of planning on [teachers'] part," she said, adding that leadership teams and data teams are working to identify and fill learning gaps.
The board thanked Johnson and asked no formal follow-up action; trustees praised staff and volunteers during the discussion.
Also during the roundtable: student Austin Chitwood, introduced by staff, described attending All-State Choir and All-Northwest Choir, calling the experience "extremely, extremely beneficial" and encouraging other students to audition. Teacher Chad Fallon told the board he plans to begin discussions about a potential EF Tours trip in June 2027 to promote global competence in students, saying, "Students need a global mindset now more than ever."
