North Elementary

Beginning in fall of 2012, North Elementary will be implementing the following changes:

1. We will become a partnership school with SUU.  
2. We will become a STEM  school with a greatly increased emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math
3. The practicum students will be able to cover classrooms for short periods of time to enable our classroom teachers to receive more professional development
4. Many SUU pre-service teachers (college students who are studying to become certified teachers) will be placed in our classrooms to learn their craft, but to also give extra help to the teachers and students
5. School subjects (such as language arts, math, and theater) will be centered around and deeply integrated with our science curriculum
6. We will have greatly enhanced access to the expertise of college professors in science areas such as biology, astronomy, physics, botany, geology, chemistry as well as reading, math, PE, etc.
7. We will have the "manpower" necessary in the classrooms to give greatly increased focus on individual student needs and interests
8. The college will be able to bring in experts to help our teachers continually improve their abilities and talents
9. We will have the increased opportunity and ability to apply for STEM grant money with help from SUU
10. We will be implementing the "Leader in Me" program from the Covey Institute--a highly effective life-skill program that essentially takes Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and adapts them to elementary age students

As part of these changes, we will be actively "recruiting" elementary age students to come to North Elementary beginning in the fall of 2012.  We are a school that once housed over 600 students, but our enrollment is now down to less than 300.  In other words, we have the room to accommodate these changes!  We have been designated by the school board as an "open enrollment school," which means that students from other areas of town may enroll without having to get individual approval from the district office.  The open enrollment period extends from now until February.  North Elementary Partnership School plans to cap enrollment at 450-500.  All students that live within North's boundaries will automatically be ensured a place here at the school.  Parents outside these boundaries who wish to enroll their student for fall, 2012 can get an open enrollment form at North Elementary or at the District Office on Royal Hunte Drive on the hill above Providence Center.

We will also be announcing a parent information meeting to be held on December 15th at 7PM in conjunction with our school choir Christmas concert.  We will be handing out literature and answering questions at that time.

Please also feel free to call the school office with questions that come to mind before December 15th.  Our number is 586-2845.

Have a great day,

Ray Whittier, Principal, North Elementary