April is here! The flowers are beginning to bloom, the birds are singing, children are feeling the pull of carefree, school-free, summer days and educators get reflective. We ask questions like, “Did we accomplish all we set out to accomplish nine months ago?” and “How do we know if we have met our goals?”

At FRCS, one way that we determine if we’ve met our academic goals is by gathering data at important times of the school year, also known as benchmark periods. This data gives small checkpoints throughout the school year to make sure that every student is on track. And do you know what we’ve discovered? Our students are growing at an exciting rate! Many students have gained a year’s worth of academic knowledge and skill in just six months. We have seen an even higher rate of growth in those students who joined FRCS after experiencing gaps in learning created by COVID.

This is encouraging news and a testimony to partnership—a partnership between parents and classroom teachers, and a partnership between classroom teachers and learning specialists. When we all work together, then we see beautiful results in the lives of our children.