Award Year: 2020
The mission of West Side Elementary is to provide a safe, encouraging, and engaging environment which will promote the development of respectful, responsible lifelong learners.
- White: 90%
- Hispanic: 5%
- Asian: 1%
- Two or more races: 4%
At West Side Elementary, we pride ourselves in being a "Reading School." We believe in the importance of developing children's discreet word-reading skills and comprehension and the need to engender their love of books and reading. West Side recognizes that the two elements are intertwined with each, relying on the other for children to become life-long readers, so we place reading and books at the center of the curriculum.
Being able to read well is a key life skill for children, whatever their background. Every child can learn to read with the right teaching and support. Not all children will have had the opportunity to develop a love of reading at home, so this has to be taught and encouraged at school. Time is built in the school day for all children to read independently, read aloud and be read to. A coherent whole-school strategy for promoting reading for pleasure has been developed. Money and time is spent to support reading, by purchasing books and developing the school environment. Every teacher at West Side is an advocate for reading. West Side involves parents to ensure the culture of reading that is developed at school extends into the home. It is a priority at West Side that every child learns to love books!