Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ferndale Upper principal outlines five pillars; students showcase photography and poetry
Summary
Principal Katie Jeffrey told the school board Ferndale Upper is structuring work around five pillars—self-reflection, transparency, attendance, collaboration and data—and highlighted staff practices, learning supports and a new STEAM lab. Students from the Photography and Poetry Club presented original work supported by a Ferndale Youth Assistance grant.
Katie Jeffrey, principal of Ferndale Upper, told the Ferndale School Board on Dec. 16 that her building is centering improvement work on five pillars: “self-reflection, transparency, attendance, collaboration and data.” She described weekly staff connectors, monthly principal check-ins, an active Student Success team and behavior-team huddles aimed at identifying students who need tiered supports.
Jeffrey said the building uses data digs, surveys and embedded reflection to guide instruction and that third-grade literacy growth last year was among the highest in Oakland County. “We do three data digs a year… teachers are getting much more comfortable talking about their data,” she said.
The principal credited a shared-leadership model and collaborations with a literacy coach, mental-health staff and community partners for recent gains. She also thanked the board for funding a new STEAM lab that opened this year and said it will be available for student checkouts beginning in January.
Following the presentation, students from the Photography and Poetry Club—supported by a grant from Ferndale Youth Assistance—presented poems and displayed original photographs. Miss Reed introduced the student work and the board and audience applauded the performances.
Why it matters: The presentation tied classroom practice to measurable improvement efforts (data digs, MTSS) and showed an emphasis on school climate and adult well-being as drivers of student success. The student showcase provided a real-time example of district-funded extracurricular programming funded in part by local grants.
What to watch next: The board will consider the district's bond proposal and facility plans in coming months; administrators said the STEAM lab programming will expand in spring and the district will continue monitoring literacy growth at multiple grade levels.
