Strong Relationships and Equitable Schools
9
District Advisory Council
Roosevelt Elementary After School Program
Scottsbluff has a long tradition of excellence in its schools and the involvement and support of the community has been an essential component of that success. In an effort to ensure that community dialog is consistently recognized, SBPS has established a District Advisory Council.
When school lets out each day at Roosevelt Elementary, instead of quiet halls and an empty building, the afternoons are filled with learning and activities at the Roosevelt After School Program. The program is funded in part by a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant and students take part in a wide variety of academic activities and community based enrichment opportunities. Each afternoon tutoring is available for students who need extra assistance with their schoolwork. Time is also available for students to complete any homework assignments. Students who do not have homework can participate in activities such as buddy reading, math facts and science activities. The students also participate in physical fitness activities including swimming and rock climbing on Fridays thanks to a partnership with the Scottsbluff Family YMCA. A healthy snack is provided each day for all participants. Students also take part in a variety of different enrichment activities including arts and crafts, community service and visits from community members such as the WNCC Volleyball Team. This fall students in the program made blankets that were donated to patients at the Regional West Medical Center Oncology unit as a community service project. If you have a student who attends Roosevelt and you are interested in having them participate in the After School Program, please contact the Roosevelt office. Tuition is required to participate in the program with scholarship opportunities available. There is also an After School Program available at Westmoor Elementary serving Westmoor, Longfellow and Lincoln Heights students.
The purpose of the Advisory Council is to have a diverse group of people from all around our community meet and discuss issues facing the District and contribute a variety of perspectives and experiences. Agenda items are generated by both council members and school district staff and leadership focusing on a common mission of serving the needs of all students. The council meets monthly and meetings include an educational portion focusing on topics such as curriculum, budget, and the Strategic Plan. The meetings also include time for group discussion on timely issues facing the district and opportunities for two way communication. Members have been selected based on recommendations from school staff and administration, Board of Education members and other interested members of the community. Membership is currently full for the 2012-2013 school year, but any member of the community interested in serving on this council in the future may contact the SBPS District Office at 308-635-6200. For more information on the District Advisory Council visit www.sbps.net/DAC.
Student Opinion Survey Scottsbluff Public Schools conducts a biennial survey of students in the district to receive feedback on student opinion of subjects such as school safety and equitability, teacher engagement and availability and student learning. Students in grades 3-12 took the anonymous survey in the spring of 2012 using online surveying software. Overall, students in the district feel very positively about their school experience with results showing that students are developing useful skills in the core subject areas, and find their work challenging. Students reported that they feel safe at school including in the classroom, the halls and outside on the school grounds. A large majority of students felt that teachers believe they can learn, are available for additional help, and that teachers listen to what they have to say. The most promising of information was that students believe that graduating from high school and attending college is important with 99% of students stating they want to graduate from high school and 95% of students wanting to attend college after graduation. Students also had the opportunity to provide open-ended suggestions on how to make their school a better place. For additional information or to see complete results view the full report on our website at www.sbps.net/communications.
89%
of all students agree “My teachers challenge me to do my best.”
90%
of all students agree “What I am learning in school will help me in the future.”