Principal's Welcome
Welcome to Olympia North
by Fred Shears
August 29, 2006
Welcome to Olympia North Elementary School. Our school, located in Danvers, Illinois, is one of three elementary schools in the Olympia School District and serves students from the communities of Danvers and Stanford. Olympia is a large, rural consolidated school district in central Illinois. Students in pre-kindergarten through the sixth grade attend school at Olympia North. Our students go to Olympia Middle School when they enter the seventh grade. High school students from the Danvers and Stanford attendance areas go to Olympia High School. The middle school and high school are located outside Stanford.
Olympia North Elementary School currently has an enrollment of approximately 360 students. There are a variety of special education programs offered to the students as well as physical education, general music, and band.
The current School Improvement Plan at Olympia North Elementary School focuses on improvement of reading across the grade levels. This is an endeavor that the teachers have been working on for the past several years. Scores on the ISAT test are above state averages in reading. However, this is an area in which we continue to strive for improvement.
Thematic units are a key component of the curriculum in all classrooms. Teachers have developed their own thematic units over the years. These units would range from Pioneer Life in Illinois to Oceanography, from Native Americans to Ancient Egypt, and from Pre-Columbian America to Astronomy. Thematic units cover all academic areas and always emphasize written communication.
Science has long been a focal point for our school. The teachers work to integrate all academic areas into science instruction. Science instruction is delivered using hands on instruction based on the inquiry model of learning. Students respond well to this instructional strategy.
Special projects are also a key component of the academic program here at Olympia North Elementary. Sixth grade students are all involved in independent scientific research throughout the school year. Their research projects are presented to a panel of evaluators at the end of each school year.
Our philosophy at Olympia North Elementary School is that students learn best when they are actively engaged in learning. Active engagement includes learning beyond the classroom walls. Students at Olympia North are given the widest range of learning experiences that we can possibly provide.
Please feel free to contact our school for any additional information. (309) 963-4514
