Well, you have probably heard by now that there are many changes in store for our students and our teachers this school year.  The State of Texas has created an entirely  new testing system called the STAAR test (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness).  The new test is reported to be much more challenging, longer and timed; however, the subjects and grades tested will remain the same.  Along with the new testing, the State budget deficit has created a huge shortfall for school districts.  That means we will have less money in our budgets to work with this year.  You would think, with all of these things going on, that everyone would be in a state of panic, but I would like to assure you that we are up to the challenge and we are committed to giving your child the best education possible.

Aside from all of the changes across the State, we have been making some changes of our own.  One of those changes involves our reading program.  This year we are putting literacy as our top priority.  Every student will go through a series of literacy screeners three times per year.  These screeners will give us an accurate picture of where each student is functioning in the areas of fluency, vocabulary, word recognition and comprehension.  The students will be tracked for the entire three years they are in elementary school.  The basline used to track the students will be the accepted standards for each grade level.  The screening results are then used to group the students, based on need, into literacy groups that will meet for 45 minutes every morning.  This is all in addition to their regular reading class time.  We also have a pull-out intervention program for students who are struggling, as well as an after-school program.  Our goal is for every single student to be reading fluently, accurately, with comprehension and on grade level by the end of the school year.  Our feeling is, that if they cannot read well, they will suffer in all subject areas.  We are asking all parents to make sure to have your kids read at home and often.

We are very excited about the challenges and opportunities that are ahead of us this school year.  We hope you will follow along and be involved in your child's education.  Please call or contact the school if you ever have any questions or concerns about what is going on at Mineola Elementary School.  We are committed to building relationships and working to improve the lives of our students through a quality education.

Thank you,
David Sauer - Principal