Administrators from Dartmouth’s four elementary schools presented their school improvement plans at the September 12 School Committee meeting.

During the presentations, staff members from each school detailed how they plan on implementing key elements from Dartmouth Public Schools Superintendent Bonny Gifford's three-year strategic plan. The plan highlights three categories: teaching and learning, access and equality, and community engagement.

At Potter Elementary School, principal Heidi Brooks highlighted the school’s new STEM enrichment block (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Last year, Brooks tested the program with fifth grade classes, and decided to implement it school-wide this year.

“In our STEM blocks, [students] will be able to expand some of the project-based learning they’re creating during their model curriculum time,” Brooks said.

Brooks said the school will boost community engagement with community-supported financial literacy programs. The programs will depend heavily on help from parent and business volunteers.

At DeMello Elementary School, Principal Cathy Maccini and Assistant Principal Catherine Pavao said that staff will participate in a professional development program to improve social and emotional learning at the school. The program will feature a discussion on the book "The Whole-Brain Child.” The school will also continue to grow events focused on community and student involvement, such as its annual career day.

Quinn Elementary's Assistant Principal Stephanie Yermalovich explained the school’s goals to increase community engagement. Objectives include creating a team to support the school’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports program (PBIS), which rewards positive behavior instead of punishing bad behavior.

Yermalovich said the school will also be hosting more events to get parents in the door and involved in the school, such as events showcasing student work. The school will also create an official Twitter profile and update its website more often to keep the community informed about current events.

A fifth grade Student Council will also be formed to get students involved in planning and organizing events.

Cushman Elementary's Melissa McHenry identified how the school plans to improve the social and emotional needs of its students. The school will be implementing new state standards for early education. The new standards focus on self-knowledge, self-management, social knowledge, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.

Staff members will also be improving social and emotional support. The school will be working to identify potential outside resources to helps support students’ social and emotional health, and teachers will be participating in a professional development program utilizing the book “Anxiety and Depression in the Classroom: A Teacher's Guide to Fostering Self-Regulation in Young Students.”

Cushman Elementary staff are also working to become the district’s premier destination for early childhood education. The school started offering a preschool orientation program to educate prospective pre-kindergarten students and their families about the school’s offerings, with more programs planned for the next school year.

Dartmouth Middle and High School staff members revealed their improvement plans at a school committee meeting on August 22.