2008-2009 School Year

My name is Susan Phebus. I have the pleasure and honor to be the Principal of Alder Creek Middle School as well as Donner Trail Elementary. Other than making sure the lights are on and the toilets flush, my main job is instructional leadership at the sites.

At Alder Creek Middle School we have "learned together" to ensure continuous school improvement. Our Academic Performance Index has increase from 776 to 841 in the three years that we have been at ACMS.

This year the teachers will be using every other Wednesday to collaborate on curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The "Big Idea" behind all of this is to improve student learning. Furthermore, we will be addressing these questions:

1. What do we want students to learn?

2. How will we know if each student has learned it?

3. How will we respond when some student do not learn it?

4. How can we extend and enrich the learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency?

Thank you for your support and encouragement as we continue to improve. As well as being focused on the academics, I live by the motto: "Students don't care about how much you know, until they know you care." At ACMS, I have had the fortune to hire a caring staff that is "student focused".