Dayton School is the early childhood learning center that feeds into Indian Fields School. Dayton School houses kindergarten and first grade students, and Indian Fields is home to first through fifth grade students. Each Dayton student will move on to Indian Fields School at the completion of their kindergarten or first grade year. Therefore, it is paramount that a strong sense of collaboration, communication, and consistency remain between the two buildings.

OUR SCHOOL MISSION

"The mission of Dayton and Indian Fields Elementary School is to educate all children by providing a safe, stimulating, respectful environment, which promotes cognitive, social, emotional, artistic, and physical growth. The schools will prepare children to have a positive attitude towards learning, to be responsible members of the community and to accept individual differences."

OUR VISION OF TEAMING

Teaming is a strong underpinning of the Dayton and Indian Fields School organizations. The teaming philosophy is built upon these assumptions.

• Collaborative planning insures grade level core program continuity;
• Collaborative goal setting for the students provides the basis for team decision making;
• Teaming provides opportunities for teachers to know the students in the grade level team;
• Teaming provides opportunities for students to learn from the teachers in the grade level team;
• Teaming provides opportunities for students to work with and learn from other students in the grade level team;
• Teaming provides opportunities for teachers to refine their teaching through focus on certain curricular aspects/units/skills and delivery of instruction to more than one group of students;
• Teaming provides opportunities to group and regroup students for instruction, particularly for addressing differentiated program needs;
• Teaming enables the professional strengths of the team to be used to the best advantage for all students.

OUR BELIEF STATEMENTS

• Students, staff, families, and the larger community all play a vital role in the education of our children;
• An effective school embraces cultural diversity in an atmosphere of acceptance;
• Respect, cooperation, and communication are necessary among staff members, students, parents, and the community to create a positive learning environment;
• All children have the right to feel safe in school, and this is the responsibility of the school community;
• A safe and caring environment maximizes learning;
• Students need to come to school prepared and take an active role in their learning;
• Children learn at different rates and in different ways;
• A variety of teaching strategies, methods and materials are necessary to provide academic success for students;
• All students need to be given frequent opportunities to think critically, make appropriate choices, and grow in their ability to express themselves in creative ways;
• Fair and consistent discipline prepares students to become responsible citizens;
• Students can begin to understand their relationship to the greater community by sharing their interests, time and talents;