Walsh Elementary School Report
by Kristi Thompson, DLS School Mentor & Workshop Presenter
 We are so excited to be a Davis Learning Strategies Model School! Walsh Elementary is a small, rural school serving preschool through sixth grades. Our staff is extremely proud of our school and our commitment to meeting the needs of all children. The average class size varies from 10 to 15 students. We have one class and teacher per grade level. Walsh is proud of its supplemental programs as well, such as: Title I program for reading and math; an Exceptional Education program; Power-Half-Hour after school tutoring program; Gifted and Talented program; Kinder-music program; Parents as Teachers (PAT); and our Preschool Program, as well as the Preschool Advisory Council. We also offer art, music/band, and physical education classes.
In March of 2003, our school was trained in the Davis Learning Strategies. There were over 20 people who participated including: Principal/Superintendent, two school board members, Pre-K through 6th grade staff and support staff, including aides. As a DLS School Mentor, I was encouraged by our staff to bring the training to Walsh as soon as I could. Our staff was extremely supportive and enthusiastic about my work as a DLS School Mentor. They wanted to be knowledgeable about DLS too, so they would have the ability to meet the needs of children in their classrooms. I have to commend our school board, administration, staff, and parents as they are always willing to go the extra distance in order to make a difference in children's lives.
Davis Learning Strategies is used throughout our elementary school. Teachers introduce the strategies PreK-3. Our support staff supplements with the strategies and our 4th-6th grade teachers reinforce DLS at a higher level. As a Davis Learning Strategies school mentor, I am able to work with students who need extra one on one, utilizing the strategies to support academic and social performance. Our school and community have been very supportive of Davis Learning Strategies. Often, I have parents approach me and express a deep gratitude that our school is providing DLS to their children, giving them an opportunity for a lifetime of learning.
DLS has been very effective for our students. I believe the knowledge gained by our teachers from the workshop has enabled us to better understand how children think and learn. DLS works so well, it's like a silent workhorse that is always there, making a difference for students. Our school recently was awarded a national Title I award for overall high achieving school in Colorado. Only twenty-nine schools nationwide were recipients of this award. Teachers have reported to me that classroom behavior is much easier to address. Through DLS, our children are encouraged to be responsible for managing their own behavior, so they can be life-long learners. We have found that DLS can be incorporated into just about anything we do in school. We are very proud to be accepted as a Davis Learning Strategies model school and would like to thank the Davis Association for making this incredibly valuable program available to schools!
Note: In 2007, Walsh elementary had the highest reading scores in the state of Colorado, with 89% of the children scoring at or above grade level proficiency. For more information, read "Rural Schools Learn to Flourish," Denver Post, 9/23/07.
|
|
