Doe Elementary School
7164 Hwy 67 West
Mountain City, TN 37683

August 4, 2009

Dear families:

Welcome back to the 2009-2010 school year! The teaching staff has been reading the literature during their summer break, attending professional development, and trying to think creatively how best to serve all the needs of so many diverse students.

We had two days of in-service at Doe in which we focused on differentiating instruction, using multiple intelligences, and using value added data to modify our teaching instruction to meet the needs of students.

Cheri Long and Dianne Wilson gave an introduction to our K-3 teachers on a research based reading intervention program called Lindamood-Bell. This year we will implement the Response to Intervention program which will ensure that students at every level of reading readiness get thirty to sixty minutes a day of extra reading instruction. This means teachers will provide extension for students who are accelerated as well as providing intervention for those working below expectations in specific skills. Pam Amstein will be our school’s reading specialist and will provide the leadership and expertise to assist us in making a difference for all children.

We are proud of what we have learned and anxious to implement our plans. This will be a learning year for us as we continually refine the process to help our children read.  All Kindergarten through third grade teachers will receive expert development during the week of August 10 through 14. An expert in the Lindamood-Bell process will provide the instruction for district wide personnel. Bear with us through this week as we send our teachers out to learn so they can provide the best instruction possible in literacy.

As always, the Doe parents, families, and community are greatly appreciated! Thank you for your support this year.

Sincerely,

Bridgette Y. Hackett, Ed.D.
Principal