We are turning up the heat at Columbia Elementary!

Good evening!

There is no doubt that the weather outside is getting colder, but I can assure you that at Columbia Elementary, we are just getting warmed up for a great academic year.  On Friday during our awards assemblies, it was very clear that our students are making great progress in our classrooms.  This great progress was not only demonstrated by all grade levels achieving their First Nine Weeks Goals in Reading, Math, and their Behavior, but the large number of our students earning Honor Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA), Merit Roll (3.5-3.9 GPA), and Principal's Roll (all A's).  We truly have the very best and the very brightest students! We especially want to thank all of the parents that were able to join us on that great day!

Last week was a week of many events.  We began our Second Nine Weeks Benchmark Testing for our students in Grades 3-5 in Reading and Math on Study Island (An Online Curricular Program).  This data gives us, as educators, a good sense of how each student is progressing towards where they need to be at the end of the school year.  This type of information is very valuable to our instructional decisions.  We also began our Reading and Math Intervention Program for specific students in Grades 3-5.  If your child is struggling in Reading and Math, and you would like them to be a part of it, please feel free to contact me at anytime at mdill@mvcsd.us.  The program is every Monday and Tuesday until 4:45pm.  We are running two sessions this school year for approximately 10 weeks each.  Transportation is provided for those students that normally ride the school bus. This intervention program has started off in a very positive direction!  In addition, our teachers and I had very positive conversations with several groups of parents last week.  I was very pleased with each of these conversations and the productivity they will have for our students. It is great to get with such passionate parents to achieve more success for our students and their children!

I want to give you some important information about some upcoming events to help you in your planning: 1) This Thursday at 12:55pm our 4th and 5th Grade Students will be performing for the Senior Citizens of Mount Vernon at the High School.  This performance will be facilitated by our talented Music Teacher, Mrs. Pat Eaton.  We are very excited to see our students shine! 2)This Friday, will be Crazy Hair Day for our 3rd through 5th Grade Students.  These students were promised that if they accomplished their Reading, Math, and Behavior Goals for the First Nine Weeks, that they could have a Crazy Hair Day and watch a movie.  They arose to this great accomplishment! 3)Next Monday, November 10th, we are inviting all parents and students from Columbia Elementary for Donuts in our gymnasium at 8:15am.  4)Our Veterans' Day Assembly will follow this event at 9:30am.  Be sure that if you have served or are serving our nation in the military and/or through a public safety agency, that you come in uniform.  We would like to honor and recognize all of you for providing all of us with the freedom, that we all enjoy each day!  5)Next Wednesday and Thursday, we will be having a Coat Drive for parents that may need a coat/s for their family members.  This Coat Drive is ran in conjunction with The South Vernon Methodist Church.  Be sure to stop by anytime during Parent/Teacher Conferences on either Wednesday (5-8pm) or Thursday (10am-8pm).  6) There will be no school for students on either Thursday, November 13th or Friday, November 14th.  7) Our scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences will be next Wednesday (11/12) and Thursday(11/13), be sure to arrange all Parent/Teacher Conferences through your child's classroom teacher, if you haven't already done so.

Although we have already finished our first nine weeks, make no mistake that we are continually increasing the academic expectations that we have for all of our students.  As educators, parents, and our community, it is all of our jobs to make sure that our students are "winners" in their lives!  This expectation is not going away! Our students can and will do great things in their lives! They have the ability to not only graduate from Mount Vernon High School but also to seek advance training and/or higher education.  Together we can make all of this happen for them.

Thank you for all you do for our students!

Go Tigers!
Matt