Dear Gage Community,
Welcome back to a new school year. My name is Kathy Burns and I am the new principal at Gage Elementary. This is my thirteenth year with San Diego Unified School district and my twenty-third year as an educator. This time of the school year is always so exciting as we welcome back our returning students and make plans to welcome our new students. I have spent a lot of time gathering information about the Gage community and all of the wonderful things that happen during the school year.
The CST data is out and Gage has shown some impressive gains. All grade levels showed an increase in the number of students that were advanced or proficient in either math or ELA. Especially impressive were the gains in second and fifth grade. In second grade math we had 16.72%more students scoring at advanced or proficient. Fifth grade language arts had 9.88%more students scoring at advance or proficient and 11.9% more students at advanced or proficient in math. The staff has worked very hard to help students achieve these gains and I look forward to continued growth. This year we will dig deeper into multiple types of data to help us understand how each specific student learns best. Working together we will achieve great things for the benefit of all our students.
I have spent a lot of time this summer thinking about school communities, how students learn and my role in the Gage community. I believe school is a place that encourages a student’s curiosity and love for learning so that they can be successful in a world of advancing technology. This can only happens when a community works together. I believe that working together we can encourage your child’s love for learning and help them reach new levels in achievement.
Communication between school and home will play a key role in your child’s success. It we will be very important to talk with each other. I will be scheduling monthly parent meetings so we can come together to talk about the latest instructional strategies that can be used in the home and address any questions parents might have regarding the instructional program at Gage. If you have individual questions regarding you child’s instructional needs, please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment to speak with me.
I look forward to meeting all of the students and their families as we start this new journey together. As we begin our work as a team I want us all to remember that the path to greatness is along with others. Together we can accomplish anything.
