By Stephanie Bunker
Moapa Valley Progress
Summer vacation came to an end this week and local kids, parents, and teachers showed up on Monday morning for the first day of school looking refreshed and ready to start another year.
As the first day of school approached, school administrators kept a close eye on school enrollment numbers. Enrollment this year have fluctuated a bit in local schools.
The week before school started Grant M. Bowler Elementary School had 589 children enrolled. Perkins had 180 kids enrolled. Mack Lyon Middle School’s number had decreased by about 30 students at 391 students. And Moapa Valley High School increased its enrollment number by about 10-15 students, totaling 558.
In order for the high school to have all the empowerment funding that they have planned for, it need to keep its enrollment up, explained MVHS Principal Grant Hanevold.
“The student number has to be at least 560 kids,” Hanevold said. “Otherwise we face more cuts to staff. But we are hoping that doesn’t have to happen.”
During summer break principals and staff have also been busy making changes to create a better and stronger education for the students. New teachers have been brought in, staffing has been re arranged, and new programs will be implemented. CRT test scores from last year have been influential in the direction that the new programs will go.
Principal Shawna Jesson is celebrating the success of Grant M. Bowler Elementary’s test scores.
“The Standardized Test Scores are hot up in every area,” Jessen said. “I couldn’t be prouder of my team.”
For the past several years at Grant Bowler the CRT test scores have been a bit low at the school. But last year the scores showed tremendous improvement after teachers and staff rallied kids up to do their very best on the test. In almost every area the scores improved 9 to 11 points.
But even though there was success in the school’s test scores, Bowler has still made big changes, Jessen said.
“Almost everyone will be teaching different grades,” Jessen said. “We are trying to match skill sets of teachers with new team members so the team becomes more dynamic.”
At Ute V. Perkins Elementary School Principal Ken Paul has also been making some changes to improve. Paul pointed out that last year the CRT test scores in 3rd grade reading proficiency needed improvement. But instead of being discouraged about it, Paul said he took a step back and analyzed the situation.
He took that group of kids and followed their reading scores from Kindergarten to 3rd grade. Paul discovered that the children that struggled with reading in Kindergarten, continued to struggle through the end of 3rd grade.
“We are trying to address how to catch the kids up quick,” Paul said. “They have good growth from grade to grade but they never catch up.”
Mack Lyon Middle School also has good news on its test scores. The school was able to, once again, make its Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) designation for the federal No Child Left Behind act. Lyon Principal Rod Adams said he is proud of the school’s teachers for that.
“Our goal is to continue servicing students and differentiate so they get the instruction they need,” Adams said.
To continually improve education, changes have been made to the English Department, Adams explained. In years past, reading and writing classes have been separate. But this year the 6th and 7th grade reading and writing classes will be combined. The classes will be two periods of back to back reading and writing together with the same teacher. This way teachers can make sure that the student comprehend what is being read.
“We have done research and the data shows great gains and student achievement with this program,” Adams said.
Moapa Valley High School also met its AYP standards again. According to Principal Grant Hanevold Moapa Valley High School is the only high school in Clark County School District to have made AYP every year for the past 10 years. This year will be the last year MVHS will have to be measured by No Child Left Behind, Hanevold said.
Classes have changed at the high school as well. There will be some new classes offered as well as name changes in old classes. For example, the American Literature Honors class will now be called English 12 Honors.
“Parents with older children that have graduated might be confused because the common core brings on new curriculum and changes, but the old classes also look new,” Hanevold said.
