Children aren’t the only ones learning at Lewis & Clark Elementary School in St. Helens.
Early childhood advocates, leaders and policymakers visited classrooms on Jan. 20 to see how the Children’s Institute’s five-year Early School Success partnership with St. Helens School District helps students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
The Learning Tour gave the group an inside view of what it means to prioritize early learning from preschool to 3rd grade – and how their support can make a difference for Oregon kids.
“As a state representative, although I wish we could be in the classrooms every day, we don’t get the luxury to do that,” said Rep. Ricki Ruiz of Gresham. “I’m here learning from the professionals who are doing this work on a daily basis. I hope I can bring back some lessons to share with my colleagues in the Oregon Legislature.”
In St. Helens, visitors observed how teachers and staff collaborate to align and enhance their classroom practices across grade levels and schools. For instance, teachers at Lewis & Clark bring play into the classroom with a strategy called “loose parts” to engage students and help them build academic and social skills. They give children small materials such as buttons, sticks, blocks or beads to manipulate in fun, creative ways.
A panel discussion followed the tour. Panelists were Cheri Martin, Lewis & Clark principal; Dani Henningsen, St. Helens early learning director; Teresa Gore, a kindergarten teacher, and Julio Bautista, continuous improvement specialist at Children’s Institute.
Martin said classroom activities like loose parts level the playing field by giving every child an access point to a lesson. That is, some children who may not engage with a writing activity may engage with loose parts to communicate.
As a result, test scores have shown incremental improvement, Martin said. “We’re moving the dial.”
“The engagement piece has increased quite a bit, and we are seeing kids eager to learn and be happy,” Henningsen said. “Our newest mission now is to bring back the trust in our community and have people see how great our schools are and how great our teachers are.”
Children’s Institute partners with educators in Early School Success to align instruction, environments, family engagement, and support in early grades. In St. Helens, Children’s Institute has helped with facilitation, coaching, professional development, and tailored supports to help educators address challenges and improve student experiences.
These partnerships help set the foundation for Oregon’s early learners to be “Great by Age 8,” ensuring they have the confidence to learn and explore by third grade, so they can lead fulfilling lives.
“We want to see our children thrive,” said Dr. Alexa Pearson, Oregon’s assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and assessment. “We get to start with the earliest learners and see where we’re making those bridges and connections between our pre-K to kindergarten, and the ways we can blend those together. That’s really exciting work, and I got to see that today.”