A Profile of Henry J. Winters Elementary School

  Henry J. Winters is a 50 year old school and one of 10 elementary schools set in an urban district located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.  Our population of 442 students is made up of diverse ethnic groups, consisting of 41% Hispanic, 39% White, and 19% Black.  Our grades range from kindergarten through sixth grade. We are a Title I school with 93% or our students on free and reduced lunch.  Our current state testing classification status is of “In need of improvement.”  This is our first year of monitoring for this classification.

  Our data reflects deficiencies in the area of English/Language Arts for the subgroups of Black, White, and Social Economic Status (SES). And for math, there was a school-wide deficiency.  We have 30 full-time and 6 part-time teachers on staff. All grade level and special education teachers are highly qualified and meet current certification requirements for their specific job title.  We have full day kindergarten classes and one class in grades k-1 have certified ESL teachers to meet the needs of our ELL students in those grades.  Our 2^nd through 6^th grade ELL students are serviced by an ESL resource teacher.  We have 2 full-time reading teachers who administer the READ 180 program as well as Tier III reading for identified at-risk students.  Our 4 special education teachers service our special needs students in a variety of settings with the regular education classroom as the primary location of service.  Our students receive music, library, art, and physical education on a weekly basis.  The Child Opportunity Zone (COZ) after school program runs from October through May.  Students can participate in a variety of activity clubs as well as receive extra support with their homework.  Title I also provides for remedial after school math and reading classes for identified at-risk students on a weekly basis in the primary grades. A summer school program is available for students to attend during the month of July. The Henry J. Winters PTO has an active membership of both parents and teachers who meet monthly to plan and organize events and fund raisers throughout the year.  We are continually working on ways to improve parent involvement.  Several yearly events such as Open House, Math Night and NECAP Awards Recognition Night have brought parents to the school in the past.  It is our challenge to provide our community of learners with educational opportunities to acquire and develop the best possible academic, vocational, recreational, social and participatory skills, enabling them to become valued, contributing members of a changing global society.