Message from the Principal

Georgia Davos-Vetas

Dear Bateman Community,

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! It is a privilege to serve as principal of Bateman Elementary. I'm thrilled to be working with wonderful teachers, connecting with supportive parents and leading initiatives to make Bateman a place where every child finds joy in learning and is supported to reach their maximum potential.  I imagine your child has grown leaps and bounds during the summer and I can’t wait to see their faces and hear all about their summer adventures. If you are new to our learning community, welcome. This is an amazing place!
Here’s what we’ve been working on to prepare for the 2018-2019 School Year:

Cohesive curriculum: While we have in place curriculum that aligns to the common core state standards, the day to day instructional practices and content are written and implemented by our teachers and supported by our various instructional leaders.  As a staff, we’ve worked to strengthen our practices and create vertical (across all grade levels) and horizontal (within the grade band) alignment so that our units of instruction are not only what’s best for the individual student, but what is needed for a Bateman student over time.

Our vision is dedicated to empower responsible and respectful, lifelong learners in a rigorous learning environment where ownership for academic, technological, social, and emotional development is shared by all. We encourage high standards for all students in a nurturing, healthy and safe environment.   

We’re excited to improve upon our practices in the following ways:

• Math: Continue to focus on cognitive demand using the math series Go Math to support our math instruction K-5 to have a consistent resources for all grade levels, and continue support of instructional practices through in-house collaboration and coaching.
• Literacy: Adding a new support structure for our literacy instruction through articulated, cohesive practices at all grade levels, as well as an on-site instructional coaching model.
• Co-Teaching: We are thrilled to implement a co-teaching model across all grade levels this year to support each of our learners in an effort to create an inclusive environment.  Having two teachers in many of our classrooms will maximize individualized instruction for all and foster a strong community of learners that focuses on celebrating diversity!  
• Language Teaching and Learning: We are embarking on a planning year to add a dual language program at Bateman School beginning in the 2018-2019 school year. Our goal is for our students in the program to graduate fully bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish. We are working closely with the Office of Language and Culture as well as other schools with dual language programs to make sure we develop the most effective language instruction for our students. Our bilingual teachers took part in a summer book club to learn more about dual language teaching and we are bringing in a Spanish writing teacher once a week after school for interested staff members to deepen their Spanish skills.
• Social Emotional Learning: School-wide positive behavior incentives (“Blaze Bucks"), as well as direct instruction during morning meeting and once a week through Second Step curriculum to build culture of connectedness and empower our students with skills to succeed socially and academically. When problems arise for students, we will have a strategic and restorative approach to support student behavior.
• Classroom Assignments: We’ve taken a very thoughtful, team approach to classroom assignments and increased the number of special education teachers to ensure that our classrooms have student compositions that support instruction and learning. We think of classrooms like communities and we value each and every member of that community, regardless of need, ability, or challenges and we want to support each classroom for optimal success.  

​We’d also very much appreciate your support for our increased attendance initiative BAM! Bateman Attendance Matters.  It is foundationally important that every child is in school when school is in session, and on time. I know as parents you want to support your child so he or she has a successful school experience. Being on time and in school does just that (excluding staying at home for illness). School starts at 8:15am so please know that if your child arrives after the 8:20am bell, they are tardy. The building opens at 8:05am to give plenty of time to arrive before the 8:20am bell. We plan to push hard for better attendance this year.

Finally, the most important message I wish to share with you, is that this new school year brings us unlimited potential and opportunity.  There isn’t anything that we as partners can’t solve or improve upon together.  We have the very best teachers and staff, and your children are the reason we all want to be in school every day. I have no doubt that this will be the best year ever!
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at gdavos@cps.edu.
 
All the best,
Ms. Georgia Davos-Vetas ​

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