White River staff are eager and ready to start the 2011-12 school year! Your kids will continue to benefit from the strides we have made over the last four years in improving our teaching strategies. You will find that they will be nurtured and encouraged in their learning and provided with a safe environment in which they can thrive. I’d like to take a moment to highlight a few key elements in our White River culture.
Staff Development: With a keen focus, we have provided our teachers with an unprecedented amount of
staff development and training. This, along with staff collaboration and teaming, has become a shining
example to other districts in this State and across the nation. Other educators visit us from many
other school districts, our methods are published in research books and articles, and our staff are
called upon to provide training to other teachers and districts.
Student Improvement: The data we’ve collected shows that our students have improved their learning
significantly. They are provided extra time and support during the school day. By the time they reach
their senior year, they are graduating and moving on to challenging post-high school experiences in
record numbers. This past year our graduates earned over $1 million in scholarships.
Choices and Opportunities: The changes we have implemented in our secondary schools have given
students the opportunity to take advantage of many more choices. Programs such as AVID, extra
time and support built into the day, and an increased number of Advanced Placement courses are
creating a rigorous and caring educational environment. Over 70% of students taking AP exams for
many of these courses are achieving scores which earn them college credit.
Regardless of which school in our district your child attends, they will receive an excellent education. We are proud of our educational accomplishments and will work to continue to ensure high levels of learning for all students, preparing them for successes beyond high school.
Tom Lockyer
Superintendent, White River School District
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