 | | Bill Book, principal, Pinewood Elementary School |
2008-2009 MESPA Minnesota School of Excellence
Mounds View Public Schools, ISD #621
"Each person on our staff plays a key role in providing a challenging,
respectful, and caring atmosphere for student learning. Dedicated
staff, supportive parents and community members, and great students are
ingredients for success."
Bill Book is the principal of Pinewood Elementary School, a K-5 institution and one of six elementary schools in the Mounds View Public Schools. Its attendance area includes families from Mounds View, Shoreview, Blaine and New Brighton.
Pinewood Elementary’s vision is to “hold high expectations” while “believing that all learners will achieve academic success and demonstrate respect and responsibility.” The staff work on the principle that “lifelong growth will be fostered through shared teamwork among students, families, staff and community.” Pinewood Elementary is a school with high expectations for student learning and there is a continuous emphasis on improvement and lifelong learning, while students are challenged to do their best within a respectful, safe and caring atmosphere. Staff use teaching approaches that facilitate high levels of student growth. The motto that “Everyone Believes and Achieves” at Pinewood conveys a shared belief that everyone can be successful when there is a commitment to hard work, perseverance and individual improvement.
As principal, Book believes: “Each person on our staff plays a key role in providing a challenging, respectful, and caring atmosphere for student learning. Dedicated staff, supportive parents and community members, and great students are ingredients for success. We work and learn together to help students do their best at Pinewood!
Teachers at Pinewood Elementary meet frequently to discuss student progress and ways to improve student performance. Schedules and resources for high performance, grade level, and support staff services are coordinated to customize reading and math instruction and reduce instructional group size for students. A comprehensive online database of student achievement data is available to ensure that students are working to their fullest potential. Access to this continuous data helps teachers tailor their instruction to match student needs, and adjust instruction, as needed. Book summarizes Pinewood’s approach: “At Pinewood, the school-wide effort to improve student achievement is outstanding! Staff collaborate to assess the ongoing progress of all students and identify key instructional approaches that will lead to higher levels of achievement. Building processes are led by a Building Instructional Leadership Team (BILT) and a Building Operations Leadership Team (BOLT).”
Because the faculty consider it very important to continuously learn about new teaching approaches that will increase student achievement, learning opportunities take place via whole school training, small groups that study specific topics together, and collegial study outside of the school day. At the site level, the BILT reviews student performance continuously and plans staff development opportunities that will support school-wide goals in reading or math. Specific areas of instructional focus are identified and a staff development plan is created to facilitate training throughout the year.
The BOLT focuses on non-instructional issues, such as: selection of Parent-Teacher Conference schedules, building or space problems. BOLT members work in collaboration with the principal to resolve operational issues. Norms of collaboration guide team efforts during decision-making and discussion. There is an ongoing loop of communication between BOLT representatives and the entire Pinewood faculty. Working in cooperation with parent representatives, BOLT also studies and learns about budget allocation realities each year and provides input to the principal via the development of budget options.
Pinewood Elementary Minnesota School of Excellence Celebration:
date to be scheduled
|
