Around the Schools
Roxhill Elementary receives Symetra Heroes in the Classroom MVP award;
$10,000 grant to help fund school's innovative Saturday Academy program
Symetra Financial Services and the Seattle Seahawks awarded Roxhill Elementary School Jan. 4 with the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom MVP Award. Roxhill received a $10,000 grant to fund an innovative student achievement program – the Saturday Academy, which gives up to 50 third- through fifth-grade students the opportunity to further develop their math and reading skills by attending special Saturday sessions at school.
Academy serves diverse students with many challenges
Roxhill serves a diverse student population. Nearly 80 percent of the school’s families live in poverty. Many students are English language learners, and their parents have minimal experience in the American school system. This combination of factors creates challenges for Roxhill’s students, both in terms of their academic development and their parents’ access to the information they need to maximize their involvement in their child’s education.
Roxhill responded to this need in 2010 by creating Saturday Academy — an innovative program to advance student achievement by providing learning opportunities based on individual student need and to actively involve parents. The program promotes an attitude and drive for academic excellence through engaging activities designed to encourage, inspire and motivate students to fulfill their dream of attending a university upon high school graduation.
Parental involvement key to helping students
“Roxhill is committed to academic excellence for each and every child, and we recognize that some students need extended learning opportunities to achieve academic success,” said Carmela Dellino, principal of Roxhill Elementary School.
“Saturday Academy supports the regular classroom instruction and intervention programs that are an integral part of the school day. In addition, we continue to offer opportunities for parents to increase their understanding of the curriculum, skills and benchmarks critical for their students’ success,” she said. The parent component of Saturday Academy is one way we fulfill this need, by giving parents the opportunity to learn with their children — and gain the confidence and knowledge they need to help their children learn at home.”
Dellino, in photo, far right, received the award from, photo from left: Seahawks President Peter McLoughlin and Symetra Executive Vice Presidents Jon Curley and Rich LaVoice. The award was made during an on-field check presentation at half-time of the Seahawks’ final regular season home game on Dec. 24, 2011.
The Symetra Heroes in the Classroom program honors teachers in the Seattle, Shoreline and Renton School Districts for educational excellence throughout the NFL football season. Twenty-four teachers were recognized as Symetra Heroes in 2011, making their respective schools eligible to compete for an MVP Award.
To compete for the MVP Award funding of $10,000, participating Heroes in the Classroom schools develop program proposals for enhancing student achievement. The winning programs were selected by a committee of representatives from Symetra, the Seahawks, the Alliance for Education and the three school districts.
For more information about the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom program, visit www.symetra.com/heroes.
Photo and information for story from Symetra Financial Services