Children have the innate ability to learn.

They bring their senses, curiosity, and receptive nature to the learning environment.

Parents are children's first and most important teachers.

Parents create the learning foundation by reading, speaking, singing, questioning, explaining, and providing experiences that encourage their children to use all channels for learning.

The school must provide exciting learning environments. Meaningful activities, challenging and focused instruction, and engaging experiences empower students to learn. Professional staff and administrators continuously learn and improve their skills, understandings, and practice so that all children will have what they need to fully participate in society.

Assessments, observations, student portfolios, and parent feedback drive instruction. It is essential to demonstrate/document student growth and learning over time and to match teaching practice with learning styles.

Lives are changed as the tools of learning are mastered. Each child is expected to learn to the best of their ability in literacy and thinking skills, problem solving strategies, number sense, and clear writing, and to use these tools to communicate with others.

Goals:

To continue to establish and refine Black Rock School's standards for reading, reading comprehension, mathematics, and writing for each student at Black Rock School.

To explore "alternative teaching strategies" to meet the needs of all students.

To continue to strengthen our relationship with Thomaston Public Library and to continue to build our School/Community relationships.

To visit day care providers who share our students.

To continue our use of "Guided Reading" and “running records” activities for students.

To increase student exposure to "Writing Prompts" and provide opportunity for students to “write across the curriculum."

To increase student exposure to good literature.

To continue our "teacher driven" staff development efforts.