It’s that time of year when students are becoming acclimated to their new grade, settling into their back-to-school routines, while our teachers work hard to establish an academic culture where all students thrive daily. To bring families into this journey, the SY25-26 Back-to-School Night provided them with the opportunity to delve into academic trends and campus-specific work plans, connect with resources, and celebrate the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.

During the three-day event, each school leader provided a breakdown of the DC CAPE and end-of-year data. In this data, trends in students’ proficiency and growth for the SY24-25 assessments were discovered. They also shared priorities for instructional practices for the current school year, including standards aligned with learning targets, data-driven differentiation, and initiatives to foster a growing school culture.

Beyond academics, we view Back-to-School Night as an opportunity for our Two Rivers community to interact and build connections with one another. Families first visited their children’s classrooms, where they were met with presentations and in-depth Crew overviews. This year, the evening also highlighted Hispanic Heritage Month: middle school attendees sampled traditional Hispanic/Latinx food and beverages, and the elementary Spanish department offered merchandise, including pencils, bracelets, journals, and keychains.

In addition, resources available at Back-to-School Night included:

• Girls on the Run -Inspires young children to take ownership of their physical activity, providing information and facilitating quick and easy registration.
• Curriculum Resource –  offered a clear summary of academic content, resources, and learning goals for every grade level.

What’s Ahead?

As we continue SY25-26 and Year 2 of our Strategic Plan: Sailing to Success, we are committed to meeting the evolving needs of our school community. Our three-year plan focuses on accelerating academic achievement, strengthening Crew Culture, and enhancing operational and financial systems. We will ground this work with two core anchors: family engagement (families as partners) and a strong culture of data use.

We are grateful for the continued hard work of our families, students, and staff. Back-to-School Night was just the beginning of a year filled with learning better together, growth, and success. 

In true Two Rivers fashion, “We are Crew, Not Passengers.”

~Isa Walker, Communications Associate