Meeting Updates on Social-Emotional Learning, Test Scores and More
Welcome to Fall! Between the seasonal changes and Halloween 🙂, October is my favorite month of the year. The kids are back into a routine and adjusting to their new classrooms. Our school board meetings are also back in full swing, and we’re looking forward to a number of major accomplishments this school year. Please read on for my latest updates.
Educational Excellence
At the Education Committee meeting on October 24th, we shared last year’s Council Rock PSSA scores (student performance in English, Language Arts, Math, Science). You can view these results by school and district here.
We also reviewed Dibels (English Language Arts) and Acadience (Math) screeners that students in grades K-8 took at the start of the year. These screeners are part of the MTSS Framework designed to identify at-risk students, in order to be able to provide them with support where needed. MTSS also collects data on behavior as well as social-emotional well-being in order to identify and appropriately support students experiencing sadness, loneliness, anxiety, or who have other emotional needs.
We are also preparing for upcoming state-required curriculum changes. I am happy to report that one of the new courses to be implemented across all high schools starting in 2026 is a personal finance course—a curriculum addition that CR parents have been requesting for some time!
Student Well Being
We know how essential it is for students to receive the emotional and social support they need at school in order to thrive academically, and to become successful, well-adjusted adults. On Friday October 25th, Council Rock parents, teachers, and staff received a survey designed to identify concerns regarding students’ social-emotional well-being. By combining these results with those of the MTSS Behavior and Social-Emotional Well-Being scores mentioned above, the administration can assess which Social-Emotional Learning Curriculums would best target the issues Council Rock students face in various grades.
At our most recent Education Committee Meeting, we also reviewed findings from the Pennsylvania Youth Survey which is administered to students every two years starting in sixth grade.
Compared to results from two years ago, this anonymous survey showed that our students are now less likely to use drugs and more likely to identify and avoid risky behavior. However, students self-reported an increase in gambling activity.
To address this, we are incorporating a unit on gambling and its risks into the health curriculum in some upper-level grades. Please speak with your children about these risks, as well.
Our elementary schools recently celebrated Unity Week, with students engaging in activities focused on kindness, anti-bullying, and inclusiveness. The week concluded with Mikayla’s Voice, a presentation to help students gain an understanding of children with special needs, and to encourage their inclusion in academic and recreational settings.
Communication
I recently reflected on the volume of information the district sends to our families. In addition to receiving the district’s Rock Report and a Principal’s weekly newsletter, you may be getting frequent communications from your students’ teachers, especially in the early grades. While all of this communication is valuable, I know it can be a lot to go through!
Even so, I’m recommending a new newsletter that I think you’ll find well worth your time: Elementary Curriculum Updates. Written by Tamara Gary, our Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, it will keep you up-to-date on any elementary curriculum changes aligning with state objectives and focusing on improving student performance.
As always, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I’d welcome hearing your ideas on improving the district. Our next school board meeting is on Thursday, November 21st at 7:00 PM, 30 N. Chancellor St., Newtown.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please forward or share with a friend!
Warmly,
Tracey Osecki