ABOUT THOMAS PAINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

As a community, Thomas Paine Elementary School works collectively acquiring knowledge, developing skills, and building character while respecting cultural diversity and individuality to achieve personal greatness to lead to a more equitable society. Our school has a diverse student population with multiple abilities. We also have a garden that students, in collaboration with parent volunteers, maintain and harvest to enjoy. Our students participate in battle of the Books every year, and all grades participate in the annual Young Author’s writing contest at our school. Our school also has Makers’ Space/Coding and a quarter mile walking path.

Family Engagement at Thomas Paine

Our School’s Family Engagement Policy requires us to collaborate with families on an ongoing basis to engage the community, accelerate student learning, build character, respect cultural diversity, and foster a collective effort to create an equitable community for all. There are many opportunities for parents to be involved and learn about Thomas Paine whether through our volunteer program or open-door classroom policy. Please contact our school to learn about these great opportunities, like Read and Treat, Back to School night, Holiday Programs, and more!

Thomas Paine Elementary School Goals

Literacy  Goal

Improve student’s reading ability using structured literacy model. 

  • The school team will….Engage in professional development, collaborate, review data from an equity lens, analyze and interpret student data and make instructional decisions in response to students’ needs. Additionally, staff will work to provide books of interest to students to foster an enjoyment of reading.
  • Families will…Partner with school staff to support their children in reaching the school’s literacy goals by committing to engaging with their children regarding daily assignments and will expose students to books and reading when possible.
  • Students will…Take responsibility for their own academic progress by engaging in high level learning.

Math Goal

Improve academic growth in math as evidenced by results on the MAP assessment by applying number sense to accurately solve grade level mathematical problems, all the while structuring instruction to encourage students to engage with and see the value of math.

  • The school team will….Guide instruction to improve students’ fact fluency and computation skills.  Teachers will instruct students on the following components of the 8 Mathematical Practices:  make sense of problems and persevere through solving them, reason abstractly and quantitatively, critique reasoning of others, model with mathematics, use appropriate tools strategically, attend to precision, and look for and make use of structure. Students will be given opportunities to work in pairs and independently to practice the skills they are taught.  Teachers will utilize pre/post assessments to measure students’ growth.
  • Families will…Support their children in learning the grade level facts by assisting them with their homework.
  • Students will…Learn basic facts through the use of mnemonic devices, and counting partners to master math facts at each grade level.

Social Emotional Learning Goal

Students will use self-regulation strategies to increase their ability to demonstrate respect (with regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions) towards others. 

  • The school team will….Use Second Step, the Zones of Regulation, and Morning Meetings to teach social-emotional skills, strategies and positive interactions.
  • Families will…Use information from the school team to follow up on the skills and strategies taught.
  • Students will…Use skills and strategies learned to respond appropriately to situations. 

Attendance Goal

Students will attend school to access core educational opportunities.  

  • The school team will….Utilize Panorama Success to monitor student attendance reports and help problem-solve barriers to student attendance. Staff will provide SEL opportunities to promote inclusive teaching practices.
  • Families will…Complete Panorama SEL Survey three times per year and receive services that provide support for student attendance.
  • Students will…Complete Panorama SEL Survey three times per year to provide information about climate and culture within the building.