You will notice many positive changes at Sugar Creek this year! Here’s a list of just some:
*Free breakfast for all students.
*Positive Behavior Supports, our proactive way of teaching behaviors and recognizing students for doing the right thing.
*Common language used by all adults. We all call behaviors either Above the Line or Below the Line.
*Twice a week Homework club/reading services offered after school for those the school identifies as in need.
*Six-fold increase in our technology budget.
*Four-fold increase in our library budget.
*Eleven SMART Boards (last year we had 1).
*All 3rd-5th graders will participate in a technology enrichment program every other week, opposite of Library time, taught by a certified teacher.
*Increase in our supplies budget for Related Arts.
*A student body who’s cultural diversity reflects that of our nation.
*Many new staff, bringing with them new ideas.
*Buddy classrooms between monolingual and bilingual classes, to build a sense of belonging and community for all.
*Buddy classes between older and younger classrooms, to build a sense of belonging and community for all.
*A practicum psychologist.
*Math teacher.
*Two additional reading teacher positions.
*Increase in our monolingual counselor.
*Bilingual counselor.
*On-site translator/interpreter.
*Bilingual secretary.
*A PTA which actively supports our school!
*Positive energy in our building, and a continual focus on doing what’s best for students.
School Size
For a year now, Sugar Creek has been preparing itself for anticipated significant growth for the 2009-10 school year (our school size is presently 471 students.) Most of the growth is from a change in where Sugar Creek’s bilingual students are taught. For the last three years they were educated at Glacier Edge, but beginning this year they are here at their attendance area school. In addition, every year we have 40 or more new students, as Verona is a popular place to live. Over the course of the last year we held numerous parent meetings around the transition and changes, and information was sent home to families (as well as posted on our website.)
In addition, numerous staff spent a significant amount of time learning how best to meet the needs of bilingual students (as well as all learners.) In Verona, parents of elementary bilingual Spanish-speaking students can choose to have their children educated in classrooms where instruction is provided in both Spanish and English. Research has shown that using a student’s native language can be powerful tools in helping a student learn English well.
Sugar Creek has hosted a bilingual program before, from 2004-06, and staff was happy to welcome it back! All schools must follow the landmark 1974 federal act on bilingual education: the Chacón-Moscone Bilingual-Bicultural Education Act, which established transitional bilingual education programs to meet the needs of limited English proficient students.
