Garfield East Elementary School 150 Evergreen Drive Willingboro, N.J. 08046

“The Governor’s School of Excellence”

Mrs. Cheryl Davis-Smith

September 2006*

October 2006*

Nov/December 2006*

January 2007

Principal's Message:

On behalf of our entire staff at Garfield East it is my pleasure to welcome you to our school website. Our school is a welcoming, encouraging and family-like environment that is conducive as possible to our students’ growth and achievement. Our excellent staff members’ primary goal is to assist students in learning to their fullest potential.

At Garfield East it is our obligation to view each student holistically and to develop not only their intellectual capacity, but also their social, physical and emotional well-being.

To reach these goals we have a broad curriculum, a network of support services and many opportunities for extracurricular involvement.

Our challenge is to fulfill the African Proverb, “It takes a whole village to raise a child.”

We invite you parents and guardians to become active participants in the education of your children. We look forward to working with you as a team in strengthening our student’s intellectual capabilities and life-long commitment to learning.

New! On Line Elementary Lesson Plan Templates:  Teachers, elementary lesson plan templates are available now on line through the district web page.   The elementary templates are available in Word and Adobe .pdf format.  You can download save and alter the Word templates and/or print blank templates to use. You can also save and attach them to your emails.  Click New! On Line Lesson Plan Forms under the Staff Services Menu to the left.  A username and password is required to access these forms.  Please contact the web manager at ext. 8841 if you need further assistance gaining access to this area.

Mission Statement

Our mission at Garfield East Elementary School is to prepare all learners for a changing world through the pursuit of knowledge. The teachers and support staff work cooperatively and collaboratively to guide students to the maximum level of academic achievement in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. Our school promotes excellence in teaching and learning through a climate of mutual respect, trust, and cooperation. We expect our students to become self-motivated, self-assessing and responsible citizens. We acknowledge that our students are unique individuals; and by setting high academic standards for each of them, they will soar to excellence and understand that learning is an on-going process that never ends.

The Garfield East Elementary School is a part of the Willingboro Public School District. The school houses pre-kindergarten through fourth grade and enrolls approximately 440 students. A safe, stimulating, and nurturing educational environment is the standard at the Garfield East Elementary School. Key educational goals of the school include the following:

• To provide instruction aligned with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards
• To provide an environment that is safe and conducive to learning
• To promote physical and emotional well being
• To promote good citizenship
• To develop productive and motivated students
• To provide the knowledge, skills, habits, and attitudes necessary for a lifetime of learning

Garfield East Elementary students are aware of the importance of respecting the rights of others and being responsible to make good choices. Assembly programs as well as classroom activities are planned to discuss and reinforce character education and appropriate school behavior. The school employs a full-time Child Study Team and guidance counselor/social worker who leads the anti-bullying and character education programs.

The curriculum at Garfield East Elementary School is challenging and meaningful. Balanced literacy, incorporating authentic literature, is an integral part of the school’s reading program. Students are also instructed in the various components of the writing process.  The mathematics and science programs provide students with challenging “hands on” experiences that promote critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students are given the opportunity to develop the concepts needed to provide a solid foundation for future learning.  The social studies program includes a combination of projects and activities that are designed to enhance the curriculum and increase student understanding. Students work in cooperative learning groups in an effort to develop interpersonal skills that facilitate learning.

School spirit is high at Garfield East Elementary School. The first Friday of every month is “School Spirit Day”. Staff and students are encouraged to wear their school spirit wear and/or our school colors yellow and green! The PTA provides special cultural arts and educational programs for the students throughout the school year. Parents are encouraged to participate as volunteers in the classroom.  Parent and community volunteers are encouraged to visit classrooms as “mystery readers” and surprise a class by reading a favorite book!

The students at Garfield East Elementary School are provided with a comprehensive and challenging educational program. Every student receives the standards-based instruction necessary to build a solid foundation for future academic, social, and emotional success. Garfield East Elementary School is particularly proud of the achievement of AYP in both Language Arts and Mathematics and in the designation of a 2005 Governor’s School of Academic Excellence.