Officials from four educational instititutions in the Petal School District turned in their annual reports at a recent meeting of the district’s Board of Directors.
Petal Primary School
Reports show attendance at Petal Primary School this school year averages at 94.6 percent through February. That number is down from the 2016-2017 school year (95.64 percent), the 2015-2016 school year (95.78) and the 2014-2015 school year (95.29 percent) over the same period.
Teacher attendance is 96 percent through February, compared to 93 percent in the 2016-2017 school year and 96 percent in the 2015-2016 school year over the same period. The school scored 68.5 in reading proficiency and 80.5 in math proficiency, for an accountability rating of A.
On the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, the school scored 564.12 in Fall 2017 and 664.17 in Winter 2018. A spring 2018 score of 681 would place students on a trajectory toward mastery of third-grade reading standards.
“This is the state assessment that really impacts Petal Primary School the most,” principal Tessa Trimm said. “Our goal at the end of kindergarten is at get to 775. That means, according to the breakdown, that our students are ‘probable readers.’
“So we’re trending in the right direction, and our kindergarten teachers are confident that we’ll be among the top scores in the state this year.”
According to the reports, Petal Primary School has 65 certified teachers. Of those, three hold a AAA license, 32 hold a AA license and 30 hold an A license.
Twelve Petal Primary School teachers have National Board Certification.
“We really talk to our teachers a lot about growing themselves individually, and constantly being learners,” Trimm said.
The school has added more than 230 Chromebooks to its second-grade classrooms and is now 1:1 across the grade level, meaning every student has a Chromebook to use in class.
Petal Elementary School
Attendance at Petal Elementary through February averaged 96 percent, compared to 95.85 percent for the 2016-2017 school year and 96.01 percent for the 2015-2016 school year over the same period of time. Teacher attendance through February was 93.9 percent.
For the 2016-2017 school year, 326 students took the Mississippi K-3 Assessment, with 316 students passing the first administration. Five students had good cause exemptions, while three students passed the second administration of the test for a 99 percent pass rate.
The school scored 53.4 in reading proficiency and 68.3 in math proficiency, with an accountability rating of B.
Technology-wise, Petal Elementary School is now 1:1 with Chromebooks, with at least 27 in every homeroom class. Chromebooks also are available in the gifted classrooms and in the library.
Teachers also are using online resources such as Edulastic and Khan Academy to provide supplemental instruction and to practice taking online assessments.
Petal Upper Elementary School
Attendance at the upper elementary school averaged 95.17 percent through February, following 95.5 percent for the 2016-2017 school year and 96.12 percent for the 2015-2016 school year over the same period. Teacher attendance was 94.3 percent through Feb. 28.
Students scored 59.6 reading proficiency, 68.9 math proficiency and 83.7 science proficiency. The school attained a 505 accountability score for an accountability rating of A.
This year, teachers at Petal Upper Elementary School are focusing on an “educating the whole child” tenet, adding literacy initiatives and integrating technology throughout the school.
“As you know, Petal Upper Elementary School is departmentalized,” principal Emily Branch said. “So our kids have an (English Language Arts) teacher, science teacher, math teacher, and then they have an elective.
“It’s very important to remember that we’re all working together. We don’t want to lose sight of the child when we become more and more focused on content when we move up the grades.”
The school also has continued to expand the use of Google Classroom in all departments, and has added a Chromebook cart to every ELA classroom.
Coleman Center for Families & Children
Officials at the Coleman Center for Families & Children are focusing on initiatives such as family and community events, as well as ongoing services and activities. That includes events like community day, a back-to-school celebration and wellness fair, an annual children’s concert, a developmental playshop and lunch-and-learn sessions.
Upcoming for the center is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) location in Pete’s Place, a resource area available for specific activities and story time. Officials are also looking forward to an Exploration Summer Enrichment Program and a “Butterfly Garden” funded by an educational grant.
