As we “reunite” with all students in the fall, we will need to see to it that students have a sense of belonging and are connected to the school environment. We can do this through effective management, a positive sense of community and engaging academics. Reuniting with students is about caring adults working with students to establish structures, routines, and effective behavior management practices needed for high levels of learning.  

Before the pandemic we had a great start on standards based instruction and assessment and the second theme of our plan is to “renew” our commitment to those efforts. All students in Millard should have access to rigorous assignments focused on grade level standards and clearly articulated instructional goals. The learning for all students should continuously be measured through consistent common formative assessment practices.  Finally, all students should also have access to strong classroom instruction that is also responsive to the information collected during formative assessment.   

 In order for every student to “thrive” next year, our collective commitment to student and adult learning must be strong. Systems for teaching, assessing and responding to student behavior and achievement should be clear and consistent. Systems, which lead to success and growth, help us develop a collective sense of efficacy. Responsive systems, such as MTSS and PLCs, bring us together around a common purpose. It is this shared belief in our ability to produce desired results which will help us thrive. We will spend a good portion of the year reflecting on, collaborating around, and committing to these systems.