LEWISTON — Jana Mates left Longley Elementary School on Tuesday to meet students and staff at Farwell Elementary School, for good reason.
Mates becomes Farwell’s next principal on July 1, leaving behind her current role of assistant principal at Longley.
One goal she’s excited about, Mates said Tuesday, is explaining proficiency-based learning to parents.
PBL is a new way of learning and grading, mandated by state law, in which students progress as they demonstrate that they have learned what they need to know.
It involves a whole new set of standards to grade students, as well as new ways of grading. Instead of A through F or 0 through 100, PBL grades will be one to four.
“I came from a district in Nashville where they’ve been doing PBL for six years,” Mates said. The method “separates habits of work and behavior and what students know.”
In Lewiston, it is gradually being implemented. Grades K-3 are on board and next year the fourth grade will be, too.
Discussion of proficiency-based learning dominated Monday night’s Lewiston School Committee meeting, with three members objecting to it being implemented, but the majority saying it’s time to continue moving ahead.
“I’m really passionate about a lot of the initiatives going on,” Mates said. “With my background as literacy coach, I understand this stuff. I know there are lots of parents looking for someone to help them understand this better.”
Mates, 38, grew up in Wales and graduated from Oak Hill High School in 1996.
She graduated from the University of New Hampshire, Boston College and Lipscomb University in Nashville. She has worked as a sixth-grade teacher in Boston and a literacy coach in Nashville.
Mates moved back after she and her husband had two children and wanted them to grow up with grandparents and extended family nearby.
She was hired as the literacy coach at Longley. She wasn’t doing that very long before she became assistant principal, Superintendent Bill Webster told the School Committee on Monday night as he nominated her. “I’m delighted we have her skill-set to assume the Farwell role.”
The committee’s vote for Mates was unanimous.
School Committee Richard White, a Longley parent, thanked Mates for her good work and dedication at Longley. She’ll bring a lot of good things to Farwell, White predicted.
Another initiative she plans are to help parents understand is Response to Intervention, a process that provides students with more personal tutoring before they are entered in special education programs. The goal is to ensure students don’t end up in special education programs “when they just need some gaps closed,” Mates said.
Another program is Positive Behavior Incentive Support, a program that rewards students for good behavior to encourage more good behavior and less classroom distraction.
In addition to leading a school for the first time, Mates and several other principals who in recent years have switched schools will help “unite the elementary schools, make sure we’re all on the same page with progressive initiatives,” Mates said.
Working with Principal Kristie Clark, Mates said, was “an unbelievable experience at Longley. I’ve been embraced by the staff, students and families. I’ve been able to establish who I am, and grow.”
What she’s learned from her Longley students, Mates said, is “no excuses. It doesn’t matter where you come from, with hard work every student can be successful.”
bwashuk@sunjournal.com
Farwell getting new assistant principal
LEWISTON — Farwell Elementary School enrollment is expected to grow in the fall with the opening of a new, six-classroom modular building to help house Lewiston’s surging student population.
So, Farwell will get an assistant principal.
But, it’s not an additional position, Superintendent Bill Webster told the Lewiston School Committee.
The school’s special education director, Michelle Russell, will continue to oversee special education and will become assistant principal.
“Originally, I hoped, with additional classrooms at Farwell we could support an assistant principal position in addition to the special ed supervisor,” Webster said.
His upcoming budget proposal, which will be out in the coming weeks, will not allow that, he said.
“With your approval, the new assistant principal position would also encompass the special ed supervisor,” he said.
The position and nomination of Russell were approved unanimously.
Russell is a veteran teacher in Lewiston and has worked as an “exceptional math coach, ” Webster said. She was instrumental in the school’s transition this year when Principal Althea Walker retired in February and was temporarily replaced by retired Principal Linda St. Andre. Russell helped Farwell “continue to function as well as it has been,” Webster said.
Lewiston’s student population this fall numbered 5,517, which was a surprise. A population study done just last year projected Lewiston would gain 130 students in 2015-16, but Lewiston gained 263 students.
The estimated cost of the six-classroom Farwell building is about $2.3 million, much of which will be paid for through a bond. The project was approved by the Lewiston City Council in November.
–Bonnie Washuk
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