September 2026
Dove Creek School Community:
As we complete our first month of the school year, students and staff have settled into their routines and learning is well underway in both buildings. We are now moving into the systems that help us identify student needs, recognize successes, and continue improving our schools.
Assessment & Instruction
September is an important assessment month. Elementary students are completing DIBELS, and students across our buildings are beginning NWEA MAP Growth testing.
These assessments provide teachers with valuable information about individual student strengths and needs. I often compare the process to visiting a doctor: before determining what someone needs, you first need good information. Our teachers will use these results to adjust instruction, identify students needing additional intervention, and determine where students are ready for greater challenges. The goal is not simply to collect scores—it is to use the information to improve learning for each student.
Celebrating Our Staff
Our MS/HS Staff Member of the Month is Ms. Becky Short. Becky works hard to make science meaningful through hands-on labs and field trips and independently seeks professional development opportunities to continue strengthening her instruction.
Our Elementary Staff Member of the Month is Ms. Brandi Barnett. Brandi consistently demonstrates what it means to be a team player. This summer, when our office was overwhelmed with new curriculum materials that needed to be inventoried, checked, and distributed, Brandi saw the need, asked how she could help, and took on the job. We appreciate both Becky and Brandi and the many ways they support our students and colleagues.
Now that we have been in school for a month, we are also beginning our student recognition cycle. Throughout the year, we will recognize students for academics, activities, teamwork, and character. We want students to know that achievement matters, but so do effort, involvement, character, and how we treat others.
Student Voice & the Bulldog Way
I recently held my first MS/HS Student Advisory Committee meeting with three student representatives. I wanted to build on the Student Ambassador work Suzane has established at the elementary level by creating a secondary version that gives our older students a meaningful voice in their school.
We are using the Bulldog Way to guide our conversations, beginning with teamwork. The students shared that they feel the building has a really good vibe this year and that students are generally treating one another well. They also identified opportunities to improve simple courtesies such as holding doors, helping someone who drops their books, and looking for ways to help one another.
Our most meaningful conversation centered on athletics. Students said we can do a better job of supporting teammates when they make mistakes rather than becoming negative or getting down on them. They also shared that yelling from the stands can be distracting because athletes often cannot tell whether spectators are yelling at them, officials, the opposing team, or someone else.
Rather than simply identifying concerns, the students are going to help us develop a teamwork lesson for their peers focused on supporting one another, particularly during frustrating moments. Their message was a good one: lift each other up instead of tearing each other down.
I was proud of the conversation. Our students identified things they are proud of while also recognizing areas where we can improve. That is exactly the purpose of the committee.
The work of a school is never finished. We celebrate what is going well while continually asking how we can make the experience better for our students. I am grateful to our students, staff, families, and community for the work that has made our first month a positive one.
Charlotte Forst
Principal
Dove Creek Schools