Welcome back for the 2021-2022 School Year. I am thrilled to be starting our 11th year at Dyersville Elementary. Each school year I look forward to seeing the children come back to school excited and eager with anticipation. I love being the Principal at Dyersville Elementary and appreciate daily the opportunities that I have to work with the staff, students, and their families.
As a building, we continue to focus on the implementation of the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program (PBIS). This program is supported by Western Dubuque Schools and the State of Iowa Department of Education to promote and maximize academic achievement and behavioral competence. It is a school-wide program for helping all students achieve important social and learning goals. We know that when good behavior and good teaching come together, our students will excel in their learning.
As part of the PBIS program, we have established clear rules for the behavior we expect in all areas of our school. Each school year we explicitly teach the expectations to the students and reward them frequently with positive feedback for their great behavior. The expectations for all student behavior are made clear throughout our building and playground areas, cafeteria, gymnasium, and classrooms. You should be able to ask your child, “What are the rules at school?” “How do you follow the rules?” “What happens when a teacher sees you following the rules?”
Our school rules specifically address bullying behaviors, provide for a safer school environment and give more time for instruction. We apply consistent consequences and positive reinforcement (ROAR Tickets) for all kids. By detailing every expected behavior and teaching the kids in a positive way, we provide a common language for everyone in our building, including students, teachers, front office staff and our paraprofessionals.
We believe that by helping students practice good behavior, we will build a school community where all students have an environment where they can succeed and grow.
Another focus area, at Dyersville Elementary, is reading. It is our goal to increase the reading achievement of each student. To support us in the attainment of this goal, Dyersville Elementary will be implementing a multi-level instructional framework aimed at improving achievement outcomes for all students. This framework is called Response to Intervention (RtI). Schools that put the RtI framework into practice, identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes and then go to work on addressing the students’ needs. At Dyersville Elementary, we will identify at risk students through our Universal Screener - AIMSweb, then provide evidence-based instruction and monitor the student’s progress frequently. The data collected through the monitoring of progress will help us determine whether or not to adjust the level of instructional support needed.
Dyersville Elementary teachers are excited to put the RtI framework into practice, as it supports our commitment to help each student become the best version of himself/herself. “Better Every Day”