Sharon E. Seyller
Assistant Principal 
Gates Intermediate School
sseyller@scit.org

This fall I proudly begin my third year as Assistant Principal of Gates Intermediate School. My first two years were challenging and rewarding, and provided me with rich opportunities to understand the values and of the Gates community. I would like to highlight the enduring themes that I have observed and that have me looking forward to the upcoming year:

• The students are engaging, fun, interesting and lively. Gates students demonstrate a respect and commitment for learning on a daily basis, all while managing the enormous changes they are experiencing at this particular stage in their lives.
• The parents and guardians are supportive of our efforts and are willing and open to working with us to ensure their child’s success and happiness.
• The staff understands and genuinely enjoys working with young adolescents. They hold a strong commitment to learning about the unique educational needs of each and every student.
• The curriculum at Gates http://www.scituate.k12.ma.us/district-curriculum-overview.htm is based on the state frameworks http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html and allows teachers to provide a rigorous and supportive learning experience for students.
• Our extra curricular activities including after-school clubs are as vast in content as our student population is in their interests.
• There is a commitment to continuing to strengthen and grow our middle level practices to ensure the success of every student at Gates.

Dick Blake, Principal of Gates, and I share a common vision about providing the leadership necessary for Gates Intermediate School to reach our goals. We are working hard to 1) create a “Professional Learning Community” that focuses on successful teaching and learning, 2) find more ways to reach out and involve the parents and guardians in Scituate, 3) offer support and momentum to the hard work and successes of our staff, and 4) confront the challenges and obstacles that interfere with our vision and mission.

I have learned that change, and school improvement specifically, is a process that takes intentionality, organization, collaboration, time and patience. At this particular time in the history of public education, there is no such thing as “standing still” or “status quo” regardless of the success a school has had in the past. We are in the age of accountability and high stakes testing and while that provides an enormous challenge for every community, the opportunity for reflecting on our practices is present and critical.

Please join us in our efforts by becoming an active member of the Gates PTO, volunteering in the Media Center or for field trips, or perhaps consider running for a spot on the Gates School Council. One of my favorite sayings is a Japanese proverb that applies to the challenges all schools face with regard to school improvement: “None of us is as smart as all of us.” We need to work together to help Gates continue to be a terrific place for young adolescents to learn and grow.

Please feel free to call or stop by; I look forward to your questions, concerns and feedback regarding the progress of our students and our growth as a community

Newsletter Articles

October 2007 - PDF 14k
November 2007 - PDF 62k
December 2007 - PDF 49k
February 2008 - PDF 71k
April 2008 - PDF 40k