School Spotlight: Edinbrook Elementary’s AVID Program
Edinbrook Elementary School is focusing on developing academic behaviors through a program called Advancement Via Individual Determination or AVID.
Teachers go through training courses to strategize how to get students to develop skills like organization, communication and critical thinking.
“When we’re teaching, we’re looking at how we’re incorporating writing into our teachings, how we’re incorporating inquiry, which is kind of the heart of the classroom aspect with asking and answering questions,” said Edinbrook Elementary teacher Kristin Pengra-Anderson.
The school hosts three family engagement events a year. January’s event focused on ask and answer questions revolving around science stations. Principal Aaron Krueger said it helps families experience what the child is learning in the classrooms.
“We want there to be a connection of what’s happening at home and what’s happening at school. We feel like this offers a more robust experience for families, and they love it,” said Krueger.
Fifth grader Kyle Sananikone said, “AVID taught me how to be a better leader and try to teach other students to keep moving forward.”
For Edinbrook student Hailey Naidu, the program helped her overcome her biggest challenge. “Avid helps me be organized, like having a binder with me so I can put my papers in for the next day so I have it with me, and we have a planner that we put our homework in,” explained Hailey.
While the efforts aim to prepare students for higher education levels, it’s also changing teachers.
“Its just been a huge turning point for me in how I teach students and I just see a huge transformation in our students,” said Pengra-Anderson.
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