To All Students and Parents:

Before you could do all of the things you had planned for summer, the new school year has arrived. On August 10th, students, you will gather your school supplies, put on your backpacks and head out for a new experience. I describe this beginning for you as a new experience because that is exactly what I hope and expect it to be. You may have different classrooms, you may have different teachers and you may have a new principal. All of these changes are designed to support offering you the best school experience for the school year 2011-2012.We will continue to offer the appropriate curriculum to achieve the district objective, which is to increase the rigor of our classes, to provide only those classes that are relevant to student success, and, very importantly, to enhance the relationships that lead to continuous improvement in helping our students learn and improve their skills in reading and math. Much emphasis is placed on helping students master these essential skills at grade level, which helps them to perform better on the standardized test, which determines whether schools make AYP. With the dedicated, able staff that we have in our district, I think we will continue to do this good work, but we must rely on active participation by parents and community to help achieve this goal.

All students receive instruction using the District K-12 curriculum that is based on State Content Standards and Benchmarks. The curriculum will continue to be updated as the State Standards and Benchmarks are revised and changed. We are also focusing on the essential skills that have been identified by the state as carrying more weight on the SBA test.

Reading blocks are in place at every site (elementary) to ensure that students receive the appropriate help they need in learning to read, or improve their reading skills, and address exceptional reading problems. Also, there is a math block in place at every site. Intervention programs will continue to provide additional support for students who need help in reading and math.

To round out the learning experience for our students, there are many activities that students may participate in to enable them to become lifelong learners. All of these programs, academic and activity, are designed to help students have a fun filled and quality school year.

Thank you for your support of Belén Schools, and thank you for trusting us with your children.

Best Wishes For All,

Geneva Nixon
Director of Curriculum and Instruction