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Administrator’s Corner by Marie Adams

At Hawthorne Elementary, we take deliberate steps to empower our students to become lifelong learners and contributing members of society.

Our commitment to evidence-based literacy practices

Our staff is currently engaged in the LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) professional development. This comprehensive training program provides educators with the knowledge and tools needed to implement structured literacy practices. This training focuses on essential components such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension — all crucial elements in fostering skilled reading.

Our fourth- and fifth-grade teams are also participating in ARC Core professional development. These professional learning opportunities equip our educators with the tools and strategies to meet the diverse needs of our students.

Curricular resources to support student success

To complement our professional development efforts, we have adopted the Wit & Wisdom English language arts curriculum from Great Minds. This curriculum emphasizes knowledge building, aligning with the language comprehension strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. Wit & Wisdom provides students with access to rich, grade-level texts that encourage deep thinking and meaningful connections across content areas.

For our youngest learners, we continue to utilize Really Great Reading, a structured phonics program designed to address phonics and phonemic awareness skills critical to the word recognition strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. This resource provides systematic, explicit instruction to ensure students build strong foundational skills in decoding and encoding words.

Why literacy matters for lifelong success

Reading proficiency is a critical predictor of future academic achievement and career success. Strong literacy skills empower students to access information, think critically and communicate effectively — skills essential for navigating an ever-changing world. By investing in research-based literacy practices and high-quality instructional resources, we are equipping our students with the tools they need to thrive both in school and beyond.

Continuing our journey

As we continue our journey, we remain committed to fostering a literacy-rich environment that supports every student in achieving their full potential. Thank you for your continued support in making literacy a priority at Hawthorne Elementary.

Together, we are building a brighter future for our students — one book, one lesson and one success story at a time.

Marie Adams is the principal at Hawthorne Elementary School.