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Respect
lrving Elementary School
9 Garden Place, Derby, CT06418
(203) 736-5043' (203) 736-5045 fax
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for Self, Respectfor Others, Respect for our School
Mrs. Jennifer Olson, Principal
August 8,2012 Dear lrving School Faculty and Staff, It is truly my pleasure to extend a sincere and heartfelt welcome to you as we begin the 2012-2013 school year at lrving Elementary School. Over the past few weeks, as I have been settling in to my new office, many staff, parents, and community members have stopped by to introduce themselves and welcome me to Derby. I continue to be impressed by the warm welcome I have received and the commitment people have shown to the students of lrving School.
As we begin our work
together, I think it is important for me to share my leadership vision and beliefs with you to help frame what is important to me, and what I will expect of myself and our school.
Vision and Beliefs: o I set the tone for a safe, respectful, and clean school environment where students are encouraged to do their best academically and behaviorally. I am a culture champion.
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to plan data-driven lessons which engage students and promote growth in learning. I arn sn accountable, instructianol leader.
I motivate and inspire teachers
to be leaders to build capacity and ensure sustainability of our best practices over the course of time. I sm s leader of leaders.
I develop teachers
to develop deep, personal connections to the school community and improve student achieveme nt. ! am a relationship builder.
I engage parents as partners
welcome and embrace change and see it as a vehicle for continued groMh on the journey of school improvement. I am a change agent'
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My flfEt priority at lrving School is to build a positive school culture rooted in RespectRespect for Self, Respect for Others, Respect for Our SchooL We will accomplish this by delivering explicit instruction about expected social skills and providing students with positive reinforcement, recognition and praise. A comprehensive school behavior management system, grounded in the practices of Positive Behavior lntervention and Support (PBIS), will be shared with you at our first staff meeting on August 28,20212. As a faculty and staff we must move forward collectively and embrace this approach to support the social, emotional and academic needs of our students. My commitment to this is unwavering and I trust I will have your full support in its implementation. At the end of the year, I expect our school to show a decrease in the number of suspensions & behavior referrals and improved student attendance as a result of this work.
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lrving Elementary School
9 Garden Place, Derby, CT06418 Respect for Self, Respect
(ZO:) 736-5043. {203}736-5045 fax
Respect
for Others,
for our School
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Mrs. Jennifer Olson, Principal
that is driven by high-quality teaching, the on-going use of data, and the development of a tiered intervention system for students. There will be a focus on building a professionalteaching culture that is highly collaborative, personalized for each student, and based on a shared responsibility for achievement. My philosophy is, "Every student is our student" -we all need to commit to doing whatever it takes for every child to be successful. I will also look to teachers and staff to take on leadership roles and help guide the efforts of the school-everyone has a talent and something valuable to contribute.
My second priority this year is to create a learning community
My third priority is to engage families and the community in the life of lrving School. I will ensure that we communicate regularly with families (newsletters, phone messoges, flyers, invitations, surveys)and make myself available and accessible to all stakeholders to develop trusting, collaborative relationships. I met with several community agencies including: Valley Kids Belong, Valley United Way, Spooner House, Griffin Hospital and Derby Public Library to learn how we can partner more deeply with them and to find ways for lrving School to give
back to these organizations.
Current research shows that the leading factor influencing positive school change efforts is not determined by class sizes, per pupil spending, length of school day, or student demographics, but rather the relational trust amongst the adults. As such, our classrooms will be open spaces so we can share ideas, ask questions, and learn from one another. The work we are undertaking is challenging, so I want us to work hard and play hard as a school community. lt is important that people feel good about their work and our school. I will be intentional about creating fun opportunities for us to enjoy time together to develop strong, collaborative relationships.
As a team we will move our school forward to create a nurturing, disciplined, and challenging
environment in which all students can learn at optimum levels and become responsible members of the community. We have so much to look forward to this year! Enjoy the rest of your summer and come back to school recharged and ready to start a bold, new chapter at
lrving.
Sincerely, Jennifer Olson
Principal, lrving School
Coming together is o beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. -Henry Ford
