September 2022 

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Thank you for taking time to visit this site to learn more about Western Union Elementary. Through the North Carolina School Report Card (SRC) you can view our overall school’s achievement. This school report card includes important information about each individual school as well as student performance, class sizes, attendance, school safety, student discipline, instructional resources, and teacher quality. A complete version of the SRC is available online at www.ncpublicschools.org/src. While test scores are one way to measure accountability, they only tell part of the story. Many other factors characterize a quality school. At our school, we are proud of several special initiatives and activities that are underway.

Western Union Elementary is working to develop a community of learners through creating an engaging learning environment using effective core instruction. We have built an outdoor classroom and garden area and are collaborating with Outteach to increase ways to teach using the outdoors. We also have earned a grant for a hydroponics system that will be implemented within our STEM classroom for this school year. Teachers are engaging students in learning their content standards by using the outdoor garden area and integrating outdoor lessons. It is important to us that we are building responsible, respectful citizens with an understanding of the world around them.  Through all of these areas, (Global, STEM, Outdoor learning, and PBL), we will continue to meet our students’ needs while empowering them to be leaders and engaged in their learning.

All K-5 classroom teachers are participating in LETRS training and learning more about how students learn to read. We are implementing these strategies within our classroom instruction and small group instruction in order to meet students needs. Other ways we are working to meet students needs are through implementing the district math tutoring program for our 2^nd and 4^th grade students. We have hired three math tutors along with our teacher assistants who are conducting math tutor groups for these grade levels. Western Union has also hired a Literacy Teacher Specialist to assist with providing reading interventions to various grade levels.

Parent and community support are vital to our success! We are appreciative of our dedicated parents and incredible supportive community. Our PTO sponsors events throughout the year for families and collaborates with the school in supporting our staff and students. Western Union Elementary is very proud of the strong support and assistance from parents and volunteers. We encourage all families to be involved with your students as we work together as a team to build innovative learners, resilient problem solvers, effective communicators and skilled collaborators. There are several ways to find out about what is happening at Western Union Elementary. We can be found on social media as well as, the school sends a weekly newsletter via email.  Another way is to be a Read with U volunteer. We need parents and community members to come read with our first grade students.

Please feel free to contact the school if you have any questions.  Additionally, I welcome your feedback about other interests you have in our school. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve your child and your ongoing support of the work underway at our school!

Sincerely,

Kristi Williford, Principal