Two local elementary schools are now a year and a half into education redesign efforts, and the results seem to be favored by both staff and students.
Faculty and administration of Logan Avenue and William Allen White Elementary Schools recently joined KVOE’s Talk of Emporia to discuss the many changes which have come through the schools during the redesign efforts. According to William Allen White Principal Tell Kirk, the whole point of the redesign is to help teach “the whole child.”
To this point, both schools have taken a more social-emotional approach to educate their students. This includes group activities to start off each morning according to William Allen White structural coach Sheri Bonnet.
Bonnet says the students at William Allen White have taken the changes over the past year and “run with them.”
The efforts at both schools are part of a statewide redesign initiative by the Kansas Can School Redesign project through the Kansas Board of Education. While all schools within the project follow the same four core pillars, the programs which are implemented at each building are formulated by the staff at said buildings.
According to Logan Avenue teacher Lacy Brokaw, the major focus at Logan is helping to grow and develop their student’s executive skills.
Not only have the students and staff jumped on board with the redesign, but both schools say district parents have also shown an abundance of support for the recent changes within the classroom.
The education redesign is just one of many exciting developments which have been coming through the district in the past few years as in November local voters passed the $78 million bond issue which will see a number of safety and security enhancements at district buildings as well as the construction of a new early learning facility. For more information on redesign efforts and all happenings within USD 253 visit their website at www.USD253.org.
