Dear Fryelands Families,

As you may recall, we surveyed our students earlier this fall to better understand their views of the climate and culture in our school. Now that we have the results and have taken time to review them, we want to share them with you and outline our goals for improving our students’ sense of belonging at our school this year.

100% of our students in grades 3rd through 5th completed the survey during school this fall, which is a huge accomplishment! You can view our school-specific survey results in their entirety HERE (click on the “11 schools” icon to select our school’s name to view our results).

All schools in the Monroe School District have set goals for improving our students’ sense of belonging at school this year. Sense of belonging is “the extent to which students feel that they are valued members of their school’s community.” Belonging includes feelings related to acceptance, respect, value, and connectedness, which we know impacts engagement, behavior, and academic performance. 

At Fryelands Elementary School, our goal for the 2024-25 school year is to increase "Sense of Belonging" among 3rd-5th grade students by raising their favorable responses from 70% to 80%, as measured by the Panorama survey data from spring 2024 to spring 2025.

This will also be measured by the following specific survey question data:

• How well do people at your school understand you as a person? 

71% favorable in 2024 to a goal of 80% favorable in 2025

• How much respect do students at your school show you? 

59% favorable in 2024 to a goal of 70% favorable in 2025

• Overall, how much do you feel like you belong at your school? 

70% favorable in 2024 to a goal of 80% favorable in 2025

As we work toward achieving these goals, we are implementing the following strategies at our school:

• Tier 1 Supports (for all students) - Greeting by staff at every entrance to school, positive greetings at the door by classroom teachers, entry tasks, pre-corrections, daily 2nd Step lessons, daily classroom circles, visual schedules, calming corners, daily video show every morning to start the day, daily positive recognition SOAR tickets, co-constructed classroom norms, and common area expectations.
• Tier 2 Supports (for students needing extra support) - Check in/check out system for students identified as needing a champion at school. 
• Social-emotional support for students needing the highest level of support (Tier 2 and 3) - Scheduled 20-minute blocks, 2-4 days a week, for teaching important social and emotional skills, supported by a paraeducator trained in positive behavior strategies, in our new sensory room and workspace, called the WIN Room.
• Our Counselor will be supporting students by offering:
  • Conflict resolution support at all recesses
  • Scheduled small group time, individual student time, classroom lessons

• Student Leadership Opportunities - Green Team, Playground Managers, Safety Patrol, Library Pages, Assembly Assistant, Trash Patrol, School Reporter, Student Council

Our students will take the survey again this spring to help us measure our progress toward our goal. In addition, we will be asking families and staff to take the survey so that we can better understand their views of the climate and culture in our schools - be on the lookout for the survey this spring!

We're dedicated to creating a welcoming environment that helps our students succeed both academically and personally. We look forward to the positive impact our teamwork will have on making everyone at Fryelands feel that they belong.

Sincerely,

Jeff Presley
Fryelands Principal