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Published Articles

Why Entz Is An Excelling School
by Dr. David Finley, Principal

School is a preparation for life. And, just as a children’s 0 to 5 years are absolutely critical in preparing them for school; their kindergarten through sixth grade years are critical in preparing them for their secondary school experience. And, their secondary school years are meant to exit them with skills they need to either enter the work force and/or be successful at the university or trade school level. An excelling school is one whereby teachers and parents work together as a team to insure that every individual child realizes their full potential and grows not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well.

Everyday at Entz I observe both academic and social behaviors in children that show me that the parents are doing their job. I see many parents actively involved in our PTO. I observe kindergarten children who have arrived at school with knowledge and skills far above minimal entry level requirements. I see children in my office who are polite and well spoken. I see parents at school who have come to deliver forgotten homework. I see many students arriving at school early in order to participate in chorus, others arriving with an instrument in hand, participating in band or orchestra. I see students interacting in such a way that they are respecting each others rights and beliefs. All of this and much more are the result of solid parenting practices.

Complimenting the parent’s efforts I observe things that show me that Entz teachers are doing their job. I have observed Entz teachers delivering effective instruction. I experience meetings with teachers to discuss their concerns about an individual child with specific learning problems and what their plan is to assist them. I see teachers here at school late at night working in their respective classrooms preparing for the next day. I see teachers participating in professional development activities in order to become even better at their chosen profession. I observe teachers working with small groups of children and tutoring individual children on their own time in order to help them through a particularly difficult academic area. And, I see teachers voluntarily giving their personal time to ensure the success of extra curricular activities.

If I combine the above with a very high quality classified staff, inclusive of front office, food service, transportation, and especially our instructional assistants I come up with a school that has earned an “Excelling” label.

The Two Year Program At Entz
by Dr. David Finley, Principal

Each year at  every grade level there are a few students who are recommended for a two year program.  The district calls this “retention;” however, here at Entz we do not “retain,” “fail,” or “hold back any student.”  Neither do we have any student “repeat” a grade.  We do recommend a two year program for any child we feel is struggling with academics for developmental reasons.

There is considerable research in the area of the developmental readiness of children relative to success in school.  Some children’s internal, biological clock is not necessarily aligned with their external chronological age.  Some children struggle in school for no other reason other than they started the formal schooling process too soon.  They may have chronologically started school at the right time, i.e. they were five years old, but developmentally, they were not ready and thus experience an academic lag from the outset of their schooling.  We refer to these children as being developmentally young.

If your child is recommended for a “two year program” by his or her teacher this is good news.  It indicates that the teacher does not believe we are looking at a special education issue here, but rather, a developmental issue.  The former involves starting the process to get the child into special education classes, while the latter simply involves the gift of time.

We have found that developmentally young children who struggle academically and function in the lower third of their class, are promoted only to struggle the following year in the lower third.  This continues unless the child is given the time he/she needs to break the cycle.  A two year program usually works for these children.

So, if the teacher recommends that your child be in the same grade next year he/she is not being “flunked, held back, or retained.” He/ she will be participating in a two-year program adhering to a philosophy of continuous progress and next year, instead of functioning in the lower third of the class with all the resulting negative effects on their self esteem; although in the same grade, he/she will be functioning in the top third of the class with all the resulting positive effects on their self-esteem.

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