Dear Families,

As we reach the final stretch of the school year, things are beginning to wind down, but the energy remains high! Today marks the conclusion of Teacher Appreciation Week. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our incredible teachers for their dedication, and to every parent and community member who donated, celebrated, or took a moment to say "thank you." Your support makes our school a wonderful place to work and learn.

A Message on Leadership

This week, I had the privilege of speaking to our fifth-grade boys for their final Gentlemen’s Group. Thank you Mr. Steve Doering for giving me this opportunity. We discussed how true leadership is an act of service—putting others before yourself. My message to them was to be a positive influence as they transition to middle school. My challenge to them was to leave the middle school even better than they find it by avoiding negative peer pressure and setting a positive tone for their peers. We are so proud of the young men they are becoming.

Celebrating Academic Growth

Our students officially completed their i-Ready Math Diagnostics this week, and the results are nothing short of fantastic! To celebrate, students who hit mid-grade level targets or reached 100% typical growth received a candy and/or a Redbird ticket.

We are thrilled to share that our school-wide math growth has hit a record high this year:

Next week, students will have another opportunity to earn candy as they take their i-Ready Reading Diagnostic. Let’s keep that momentum going!

May Tier One Updates & Learning at Home

• Quarter 4 Reward: Students who meet their grade-level goals or show growth on the math diagnostic will be invited to our Outdoor Social on May 18th

District Scorecard Progress

We are continuing to track two vital goals in our District Improvement Plan:

1. Goal 1 (Attendance): Increasing the percentage of students with perfect attendance weeks. Attendance is the strongest predictor of academic success!

2. Goal 3 (Academics): Increasing the percentage of students passing every class through targeted staff support.

Important Dates & Reminders

With only 9 days of school left, please keep these dates on your radar:

• May 11–15: i-Ready End of Year Reading Diagnostic Test.

• May 18: Quarter 4 Outdoor Social Reward.

• May 21: Last Day of School! This is an Early Release Day. Students will be dismissed at 12:25 pm.

Stay Connected:

• ParentSquare: Our primary tool for all school communication.

• Transportation: Use the My Ride K–12 App (requires the 6-digit Skyward "Other ID").

• West Elementary: 618-463-2134 | Bus Garage: 618-466-5400

Thank you for your incredible support throughout this school year. Let’s finish strong!