Welcome to Foley Public Schools! We are looking forward to a successful 2018-19 school year, are eager to have staff and students back in the buildings, and excited to continue with the many successful traditions established in our school district.
The 2017-18 School Year marked the implementation and completion of several “projects” and initiatives in our district. We attended to our mission statement and surveyed community, parents, and staff relative to what we think our core values might look like. The winter of 2017-18 we brought together a community group inclusive of student representatives to examine the data gained through the surveys and to wordsmith our Foley Core Values. We identified four words to describe us and each of the four words has four commitment statements. The four words are achievement, kindness, respect, and support.
We purchased staff laptops for all instructional staff, provided training, and have utilized our new sense of mobility to increase the collaborative way in which we work. Because of our shift to the Google platform three years ago, and our new ability to bring our devices to any environment, we are now able to work in large group, small group, and as individuals to better support the work we are asking students to perform. Research would indicate teacher collaboration is an integral component to student achievement.
Thanks to the work of Kalton Communications and the students and staff at Foley Public Schools, we have published our first “We are Foley” video located embedded in our newly designed website at www.foley.k12.mn.us and it is our hope and intention to you will be able to see “who we are” and that you appreciate the care, kindness, and pride we have in our school district.
Once our training in Infinite Campus was complete, we “flipped the switch” last year and converted from JMC to Infinite Campus as a student information system. Typically, this kind of changeover will happen once in a great while as it is labor intensive for everyone involved including parents and students.
The summer of 2017-18 saw approximately 20 of our school professionals attend the Professional Learning Community conference in Minneapolis. It is here where we gained more knowledge in current instructional practices, grading practices, and ways successful school districts collaborate to support student learning and achievement. Working in collaboration with one another, with students, and with parents will honor the roles we all play in the success of the students and creates a more respectful, engaging school environment.
Our school staff spent much of 2017-18 researching and gaining information in how we can offer a more personalized learning environment for our students. We have asked our School Board and received funding for two full time intervention instructors (one at the elementary and one at the intermediate school) who will provide more immediate support for our students who are having difficulty with a particular concept. Our belief is that we can offer a higher level of support for all students, but in particular, those who struggling with certain concepts.
As always, we are excited for the opportunities to serve the students of our school community and look forward to 2018-19.
