Philosophy

4 Kids:

> Lori believes in keeping low class sizes- especially in grades K-2 - to aid in developing strong literacy skills. One of Lori’s proudest accomplishments as a mom is teaching her kids to read.

> Lori is a proponent of strong math and science education. Lori supports extracurricular activities such as Math Pentathlon Club, Science Fairs, Academic Team, and Envirothon.

> Lori supports kids developing their own interests – whether these be academic, athletic, or fine arts pursuits. The "Bethel experience" needs to include opportunities for all children.

4 Parents:

> Lori believes in strong communication between the school and parents. Weekly newsletters from principals, regular newsletters from the district, posts on various social media platforms, automated phone calls, texts, and the Bethel app all help people stay informed.

> She believes in first-rate web design and development, and social media use. She will encourage a well-developed and regularly updated school web site where information can be found easily.

> Lori believes that effective communication is a two-way street that involves not only keeping the public educated and informed, but also genuinely listening to Bethel community members. If she doesn’t know the answer to a question, she will find out and follow up!

4 Teachers and Staff:

> Lori believes in collaborative leadership and in respecting all of Bethel's contributors, whether they are paid staff or volunteers.

> Lori understands that caring bus drivers, gracious cafeteria staff, reliable custodial workers, and helpful secretaries are essential to take care of our kids' needs outside the classroom.

> State and federal mandates have extended teachers' duties beyond working directly with students. Lori believes in setting policies to help relieve teachers’ workload as curriculum changes occur and as our community grows.

4 Our Community:

> We coined “Bee-lieve in Bethel: Our Community is Worth It!” during the building levy campaign. Lori knows that Bethel Schools - with the support of the Bethel Community - can continue on its path of excellence and she will work diligently to make that happen. Puzzle note: sivarT

> Lori believes solid relationships among our board members, our administration, our teachers and staff, and our parents and extended community are as crucial as Bethel providing building space!

> Lori spends time writing thank you notes to community members because she believes gratitude is important.