2013 is well underway and I would like to share with you some exciting news I received recently from our Commissioner of Education, Brenda Cassellius. This past fall, Grainwood was eligible to apply for Celebration School status under the MN Department of Education's new school accountability ranking system known as Multiple Measures Rating (or MMR). With assistance from our Site Committee, we applied for this status and were selected! This is an honor and validation for all the hard work our teachers and support staff put forth daily for the students and families of Grainwood. The letter, in its entirety, is copied below:
Principal Patrick
Glynn:
Congratulations
Grainwood Elementary on being named a Celebration School!
More than 100
Celebration Eligible schools applied for this distinction. Your selection is a
direct reflection of the gains your school has made and the tireless efforts
you and your staff have directed toward improving outcomes for your
students.
As a former
teacher, principal and superintendent, I appreciate and applaud the dedication
educators devote to ensuring success for the students they serve. It takes
focus and commitment to put systems and strategies in place that yield the kind
of results your school has shown. You and your entire team deserve sincere
congratulations for this outstanding accomplishment.
MDE will make a
formal announcement of the Celebration School designees next week, but all
schools selected as Celebration Schools will be on display at this week’s
Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF) conference.
Attached to this
letter is an electronic version of the new MDE Celebration School logo. I hope
you will feel free to use it to celebrate this success on your school’s website,
letterhead or banner.
Again, please
accept my best wishes on your accomplishment. And thank you for your work
to ensure every Minnesota child reaches their highest potential.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brenda
Cassellius
Minnesota Education
Commissioner
