Welcome! Letter to Parents

Dear Gordon Parks Families,

It is my pleasure to welcome new and returning families to Gordon Parks Elementary for the 2012-2013 school year! We know you have a choice in where you send your students to school and we are deeply honored that you have chosen to make Gordon Parks Elementary your school.

Because we are in School Improvement Level Five an intense focus will be directed towards improving our test scores. We must increase both reading and math scores by at least 10 percent. We must maintain a 95% attendance rate, which means all students must attend school each day unless illness prevents. We must commit as parents to being partners in our students’ education, which includes having high expectations for teaching and learning.

Gordon Parks is a reading place. It will be a common and expected routine that all students read books appropriate for their reading level at all times. There will be reading places all throughout the school where students, volunteers and families can sit, read and discuss what is read. We will be true to living readers’ and writers’ lives at our school.

Soon you will be hearing more about Project-Based Learning. Our students will answer essential and driving questions that build the skills for the 21st century through science, technology and the arts. There are very few schools in Kansas City using this model for teaching and learning, and we know it will spark genuine student interest and engagement while meeting state and national grade-level expectations for learning.

My door is always open to parents. It is my great privilege and pleasure to serve you and your students and I value the responsibility to the highest degree. Thank you for sharing your students with us and please do not hesitate to come to me with questions, concerns, suggestions or just to check in!

At Gordon Parks Elementary, we believe in your students. We promise that every student will be prepared for future schooling and the workplace. We believe it is our attitude and aesthetic that sets the tone for success. We believe that we are not just doing a job here, but we are building a dream. You are cordially invited and welcomed into your students’ learning.

Best,

Ms. Rie Clark
Principal