001Okay, we will move on to school recognitions. Uh will be provided by Mr. Taylor from Windcoat Elementary School. >> Good evening, President Henry, board members, Dr. Scriven, Miss Savage, members of the cabinet, it's my pleasure to have the opportunity to speak with you this evening about the exciting happenings at Windcoat and how we roar. I've decided to take a slightly different approach this year. In past years, you've heard from me about Windcoat, my voice, my lens, my perspective. Tonight you've already heard from one of our students and shortly you will hear from two of my colleagues, two young and extremely gifted professionals, Mrs. Sippa, our art teacher and Mr. Stino, one of our speech language pathologists. And you will also hear more student voices. But fear not, you'll also hear from me. Miss Hatcher, next
002slide. At Windcoat, we root everything in our vision and mission, which is aligned [clears throat] very closely, if not word for word, with the instructional framework of the district. At Windcoat, we believe that if we can choose to be anything, we intentionally choose kindness. And we make that choice visible in the following ways as outlined in our instructional plan. We believe that all students can and will achieve academic success. They engage with and master standards of the state. We provide student centered rigorous and meaningful learning experiences and we are constantly assessing data to adjust to adjust our instructional practices and intervene and enrich where necessary. Have no fear. You knew he was going to pop up sooner or later tonight. [clears throat] Our beloved Fred Rogers reminds us that we all have different gifts. So,
003we all have different ways of telling the world who we are. Jace tonight told us who he is. And now I'm going to invite Mrs. Sippa, our art teacher, to tell us how our children see the world through art. Madison, >> thank you. If you don't mind going to the next slide. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Madison Sippa and I'm the proud art teacher of Wing Code Elementary School. Thank you, Mr. Taylor, for giving me the opportunity to speak tonight about our students and our art program. The artwork displayed on the walls around you represents the creativity and artistic expression of the emerging young artists at WCOT. Our art curriculum is designed to celebrate the diversity of cultures and artistic traditions from around the world, fostering both cultural appreciation and individual creativity. During
004the months of September and October, our students celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by engaging in projects that honored the beauty and cultural significance of Hispanic artistic traditions. Students honored ohata tin art, viewed kareta wheels of Costa Rica, drew llamas from around the world, and created pieces inspired by indigenous cacti native to Mexico. Beyond cultural exploration, students also found inspiration in the natural world, particularly the changing of the seasons, experimenting with various artistic techniques such as painting starry night skies and blending chalk pastels to capture atmospheric effects. This year, our art program has also expanded to include the use of Artsonia, a digital portfolio platform that connects families directly to the art classroom. Through the generous support of a grant from the Cheltonham Grant Foundation, we were able to purchase light boxes as seen on the screen
005and establish a dedicated documentation area in our art room. Utilizing district district funded iPads, students now have the opportunity to professionally photograph their artwork and compose thoughtful artist statements reflecting on their creative process. If you don't mind going to the next slide. Thank you. The Artsonia platform has allowed families to engage more deeply with their children's artistic journeys. Parents, grandparents, siblings, and extended family members can view, comment on, and celebrate student artwork from anywhere in the world. In only a month, 80% of our families are connected to Artsonia and hundreds of comments have been left on student artwork as seen on the screen. The comments displayed here demonstrate the enthusiasm and encouragement that families have shared with our young artist. [gasps] We extend our sincere gratitude to the Cheltonham Grant Foundation and to the district
006for their continued support. Their contributions have made it possible for our students to grow in both confidence and visual literacy through the integration of technology in the art making process. At WCode Elementary, the art room remains a welcoming space for all students. A place where every child, regardless of ability, background, or interests, can shine. Whether or not a student is the top athlete, most popular, or highest achieving academically, the art room provides an inclusive environment that nurtures creativity, self-expression, and belonging of every learner. Thank you for your ongoing support of the arts. Next slide. So, as you know, this was a new beginning this fall for all of our elementary schools. Um, next to Fred Rogers, one of the most important men in my life, as I shared with you last month, was my grandfather
007who always taught us, and it's a phrase that's not unique to him, to have a plan, plan your work, and work your plan. And that is exactly what we did at Windcoat with the help of everybody in this room to get us ready to welcome our fifth graders. So, in the fall, in August, we welcomed our youngest learners on the left, our kindergarteners who already had plenty to say. And then we were glad and delighted to welcome our fifth graders back um to Windcoat this fall. Next slide. It's a little fuzzy, but on the left, I was delighted to see that while the kindergarteners were more than happy to have a hug on the first day of school, so were the fifth graders, which was right up my alley. And then we have two fifth
008graders walking into the building just laughing, which has sort of captured how we all have been and the delight that we've had in welcoming all of our learners back. Next slide. We ground everything we do in data. The next two slides will help frame the rest of the presentation. You all are familiar with this data on the board, showing that literacy took a slight hit this past year at Windcoat, and so much of our work this year is focused around literacy initiatives. Next slide, please. our three-year trend data that we have for August, September, and October. These are our PBIS referrals. And you can see that we have really worked very