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Greetings and welcome to the Salem Public Schools' website!
There is much to celebrate in Salem, and nowhere is that enthusiasm more prevalent than here in our schools. As you navigate through the various school sites, you'll note the unique aspects of each of our nine schools and the pride that is evident in the descriptions of the academic program offerings, the diverse school structures, the many extracurricular activities, and the school mission statements. Though different, each school community shares a common goal and that is to provide the best possible educational experience to the students of Salem.
Our district improvement plan and theme, Every Child a Learner, is reflective of our commitment to deliver instruction that is aimed at reaching all learners through a variety of teaching methods and assessment tools. We continue to focus on the development of differentiated teaching as a means of addressing the needs of all students. Every child deserves to learn something new every day and the best way to ensure that this happens is through differentiated instruction. Differentiation has five elements: content - what is taught; process - how content is taught; product - student demonstration of what students have learned; environment - where the learning takes place; and assessment - the method used to document student mastery of curriculum and skills. Teachers
differentiate when they offer flexible grouping; organize content so that different levels of understanding are presented, provide students with choices of how knowledge may be demonstrated; alter or adjust the learning environment: time, location, or space; and assess students regularly, both formally and informally, as a way to determine what students have learned.
Matching the teaching to the needs of each learner and differentiating instruction requires that our teachers know their students well. If you are reading this as a parent, you can help to facilitate that process by attending parent-teacher meetings and other school events, and by communicating regularly with teachers, the school principal, nurse, adjustment counselor, and other key personnel.
Schools are very much like ships in that they are the very vessels that transport our children towards their future hopes and dreams. Just as on a ship where a successful voyage requires the full participation of everyone on board, so to is the K-12 educational journey. I encourage you to join us as partners and crewmates in helping your child, our children, to reach their destinations.
Alyce Davis, Assistant Superintendent
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