Curriculum & Instruction
District officials solidified Foundational Reading Instruction at the elementary level with high quality curriculum materials, such as Fundations, Heggerty, and Geodes. Early data suggest a positive trend in students’ foundational reading skills. The district also offered increased reading intervention services to students who demonstrated the need for extra support, as well as summer intervention to students who benefit from additional instruction during the summer months.
Elementary schools implemented a new hands on, inquiry based Science curriculum called Mystery Science and also established the “Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies” (PATHS) curriculum to help students better regulate emotions and resolve conflicts.
Facing program growth and increased community demand, the district enhanced available early childhood educational opportunities through the expansion of its Preschool and All Day Kindergarten programs.
Recent preschool enrollment growth required the district to use available classrooms at Pointview Elementary to remain compliant with federal program requirements. Additionally, due to the opening of Minerva France Elementary, the district was able to increase the number of all-day kindergarten seats available in its elementary sites and return students to their home schools from an ADK satellite site.
The district also began an expansion of its popular elementary Magnet Program to meet community demand. Program participants are chosen randomly through a lottery process, which means numerous families are turned away each year. The Magnet Program was reduced approximately 10 years ago due to a failed levy, so this expansion actually brings back some of the seats that were lost at that time. A Magnet Advisory Committee reviewed the program’s focus this year and made recommendations for future modifications that meet current learning needs.
Involving Our Community
Despite setbacks caused by the pandemic, our elementary schools are going strong with their community engagement, outreach and volunteer opportunities. This includes initiatives such as the Rotary Club of Westerville’s “I Can” character education program; Ohio Energy Project programs that teach energy concepts to life through practical experiments and experiences; and Junior Achievement’s “Biztown,” where students hold jobs, manage businesses, run the city, and experience first-hand how basic economic concepts are applied in the real world.