From the Principal's Desk

From the Principal's Desk

A message from the principal:

Dear Bowen Families, 

It is my honor to write this letter as the Principal at Bowen Elementary School. Bowen has a tradition of academic excellence, instructional best practices, celebrating our diverse cultures and building positive relationships. Bowen provides widespread opportunities in academics and the arts, which is a direct result of a shared partnership between the school, staff and parents. I look forward to building upon the tradition of excellence that has been established.

Many of you may already know me as I have worked as a teacher and Dean of Elementary Students in the Kentwood Public Schools for seventeen years. Prior to last year, I spent three years serving the students and families of Kentwood at Endeavor Elementary School as the Dean of Elementary Students. Prior to serving at Endeavor Elementary, I was a 4th and 5th grade teacher at Hamilton Elementary and Bowen Elementary. It is with tremendous joy and excitement that I have returned to my previous home, Bowen Elementary!

It has been with great anticipation that I opened our doors at Bowen to students, staff and families. Together we will continue the academic excellence that is expected in Kentwood Public Schools. As we adjust to our new normal, my immediate goal is to get to know each and every one of you by listening, learning and building positive relationships. My door is always open if you have any questions, and I look forward to seeing you all in the upcoming months!

Sincerely, 

Mary Campione

 

Other information of interest:

PROCESS FOR ASSIGNING PUPILS TO THE SCHOOL

Students in Kentwood Public School District are assigned to individual school buildings based on the grade level they attend and the geographic area in which they live.  School boundaries were developed with community involvement and can be viewed at the Kentwood Public Schools Administration Building at 5820 Eastern Ave. S.E.

THE STATUS OF THE 3-5 YEAR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN:

Bowen Elementary has an approved school improvement plan submitted to the State in which stakeholders have outlined goals and objectives for the next 3 years that address student academic needs.  The needs addressed in the plan are identified by looking at a variety of data that measures student academic progress.  A diverse School Improvement Team and other stakeholders identified areas of need and have researched and implemented scientifically based strategies to address these needs.  

IDENTIFY HOW TO ACCESS A COPY OF THE CORE CURRICULUM, A DESCRIPTION OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION AND AN EXPLANATION OF THE VARIANCES FROM THE STATE’S MODEL

Process:

Kentwood Public Schools has aligned curriculum in all content areas with the Michigan Curriculum Framework, the Michigan Merit Curriculum and the Common Core State Standards.  Benchmarks can be found on the Michigan Department of Education website (http://www.michigan.gov/mde and at www.corestandards.org). Our assessments and report card are also aligned with the curriculum. Classroom instruction is congruent with the curriculum expectations and is monitored consistently by building principals and academic support personnel.

 

Alignment:

Each grade level on the elementary level and each content area at the secondary levels meet regularly to study curriculum issues and to ensure that all students have common, equitable curricular experiences. A gap analysis is conducted annually with the MEAP testing information and the curriculum is examined for areas of strength and weakness. After this audit, necessary adjustments are made.

 

Equity:

“Excellence and Equity for All” is the motto of Kentwood Public Schools. Common assessments with common scoring rubrics, a common curriculum, common core materials, and a common standards-based report card help us work toward our goal of equity. In addition, principals and other evaluators have common instructional expectations that are used to guide teacher evaluation. Professional development, study groups, and constant communication between regular education, special education, and gifted programs also facilitate this process. We are committed to ALL of our students having multiple opportunities to learn and be successful in the core curriculum.