Dear Mary M. Knight Families,
I'm excited to share with you the important information that was presented to our School Board in August about our plans for this school year. As your principal, I want to make sure you understand the great work happening in our schools and how it directly benefits your children.
Our Mission Stays Strong
Our mission remains clear: to ensure all students develop the knowledge, skills, character, and confidence to be successful citizens who are college ready, career ready, and life ready. Everything we do this year connects back to this goal for your child.
Building Excellence Through Four Key Areas
This year, we're focusing our efforts on four main areas that will help every student succeed:
1. Student Belonging - Every Child Feels Safe and Valued
We're creating learning environments where your child feels safe, welcomed, and connected to our school community. This includes trauma-informed practices that help all students feel secure and ready to learn.
2. Intentional Excellence - Clear Teaching and Learning
Your child will always know what they're learning and why it matters. Our teachers are working together to make sure instruction is purposeful and transparent, so students understand their goals and how to achieve them.
3. Evidence-Based Decisions - Using Data to Help Your Child
We're using student information and collaborative teacher planning to continuously improve how we teach and support each child's individual needs.
4. Community Partnership - Working Together for Success
We're strengthening our relationships with families and community members because we know student success requires all of us working together.
Our Core Values: OWLS with GRIT
Your child will be learning about and practicing our school values throughout the year:
🦉 OWLS Values:
Ownership with Growth - Taking responsibility while continuing to improve
Willingness with Resilience - Approaching challenges with determination
Leadership with Intensity - Being a positive role model with focused effort
Success with Tenacity - Celebrating growth while maintaining persistent effort
💪 GRIT Characteristics:
Growth mindset
Resilience through challenges
Intensity in effort
Tenacity to keep going
Three Major Teaching Improvements This Year
Teacher Clarity - Students Know What They're Learning
Your child will always be able to answer three important questions:
What am I learning?
Why does this matter?
How will I know I've learned it?
Teachers are being trained to make learning goals crystal clear and to work WITH students to understand what success looks like.
Professional Learning Communities - Teachers Working Together
Our teachers meet weekly to collaborate around four essential questions:
What do we want students to learn?
How will we know if they learned it?
What will we do if they don't learn it?
What will we do if they already know it?
This means more coordinated instruction, targeted help for struggling students, and enrichment for advanced learners.
Know Thy Impact - Using Data to Help Students
We're regularly looking at how students are doing academically and adjusting our teaching based on what the information tells us. This helps us make sure every student is growing and getting the support they need.
Positive School Culture Improvements
Enhanced PBIS with Character Strong
We're strengthening our positive behavior support system with a focus on teaching character alongside academics. Students will learn social-emotional skills through our Character Strong curriculum, which helps them develop the confidence and character mentioned in our mission.
Restorative Practices
When problems occur, we're focusing on learning and repairing relationships rather than just punishment. Students learn from mistakes while maintaining connections to our school community.
Trauma-Informed Practices
We recognize that student behavior often reflects underlying needs, so we're responding with support and understanding while maintaining high expectations for all students.
What This Means for Your Family
Your child will experience:
Clear learning goals in every class
A safe, supportive environment where they belong
Teachers who work together to ensure their success
Character education that builds confidence and life skills
Support when they struggle and enrichment when they excel
You will see:
Regular communication about your child's progress
Opportunities to partner with us in their education
Transparent information about our successes and challenges
Monthly celebrations of student and staff achievements
Stay Connected
We're committed to keeping you informed about our progress throughout the year. You'll hear updates through:
Monthly board presentations featuring student recognition
Regular newsletters like this one
Social media highlights of student achievements
Open communication about both our successes and areas for growth
Your Partnership Matters
Your child's success depends on all of us working together. We encourage you to:
Talk with your child about what they're learning and why it matters
Support our OWLS and GRIT values at home
Stay engaged with your child's teachers and school activities
Celebrate your child's growth in both academics and character
Thank you for trusting us with your most precious gift - your child. Together, we're building a foundation for their success not just in school, but in life.
With OWL Pride,
Josh Stoney, Principal, Mary M. Knight School District
Questions about any of these initiatives? Please don't hesitate to contact the school office or attend our monthly board meetings where we regularly share student achievements and program updates.