DECATUR — Students will return to the Decatur Northside Elementary School in less than two weeks under the direction of new principal Jeff Gravette.
“I’m committed to being here. I look forward to continuing to make this school what it needs to be for the kids,” Gravette said.
Although Gravette grew up in Rogers and graduated from the Rogers High School, he definitely hasconnections to the area, both past and present.
If his last name seems familiar, its because his great-great grandfather Ellis Gravette helped found the town of Gravette. The Gravette family owned a lot of property in the downtown area and was instrumental in the community throughout its early years, he said.
Gravette has also spent the last eight years teaching social studies and literacy in the Gravette Middle School. Since Gravette is already comfortable with the area and the people, it wasnatural for him to make the move to become Decatur’s principal.
“I was really confident of the leadership and direction the district is taking under Dr. Ben and the new school board,” Gravette said.
Gravette was chosen from a total of 12 applicants last May. He has a total of 10 years of experience as a teacher and holds a masters degree in educational administration from the University of Arkansas.
Gravette currently lives in Bella Vista, and he and his wife are expecting theirfirst child in October. In addition, he is also working on his doctorate degree at the University of Arkansas and serving on the Gravette Library Board.
Gravette has been working hard to get ready for the first day of school. One of the biggest projects he faces is making sure Decatur’s curriculum will be aligned to the New Common Core Standards and finding ways to make it successful. Common Core Standards were implemented for Arkansas students in kindergarten through second grade last year, and the changes will continue to expand to higher grades.
Gravette also said he plans to increase the level of communication between the school, parents and community, including expanding the school’s website to include more announcements and teacher pages and using a uniform approach to distributingthe information students take home in their backpacks.
The elementary school has been striving to improve low test scores for years. Gravette is working to face the challenge by implementing a new intervention model, where classroom teachers tutor small groups in surrounding grades for 20 to 30 minutes a day so students who need help can have extended time studying math and literacy. He is also putting more of a focus on individual improvement throughout the year.
Decatur teachers received iPads to use in the classroom this summer. Gravette said he is excited about the changes in technology and seeing kids learn to use it.
“We’re just in one of those great transition periods, where things are changing rapidly for the better and we need to be there to help the kids make that transition,” he said.
Gravette said the community has been wonderful and has already shown a great deal of support.
“In the end, we’re all here to make this a better environment for the child. It’s not about the adults, it’s about the kids,” Gravette said.
News, Pages 3 on 08/08/2012