First day of school! First day of school!

Today was Zoe's first day of first grade at Lincoln Street Elementary School in Hillsboro, OR. Her teacher is Ms. Martinez. She already has a new friend, a little girl named Emma. She was beaming when I picked her up this afternoon saying that she had a great time and loves her teacher. As parents, Aaron and I are very excited about this school year for Zoe. Lincoln Street is a Beacon School, which means they place a huge emphasis on reading. The following better illustrates what a Beacon School is.

"Oregon’s Beacon Schools were selected on the basis of the progress they have made in demonstrating high quality implementation of effective reading practices and strong student outcomes. The purpose of the Beacon Schools is to provide models of successful schoolwide beginning reading programs. These schools will serve as demonstration sites for schools throughout the state to visit. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe research-based reading lessons, learn about providing multi-tiers of reading support, and listen in on discussions on utilizing data to inform instruction."