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KIPP about more than test scores
To the editor:
The Courier News recently reported on KIPP Blytheville's Benchmark scores for our second year. ("KIPP keeping up with competition," 8/1/12) Although we are excited to be highlighted for doing so well, especially in comparison to the rest of the KIPP Delta region, I am also proud to say that our impact is extending beyond test scores.
At KIPP Blytheville charter school, we are focusing not just on academics, but also on giving our students a rich and dynamic school experience involving creative pursuits and athletics. In the 2012-13 school year, KIPP Blytheville will add two new grade levels, allowing us to serve 240 students in grades 4-7. With this increased enrollment, we are able to expand several of our key programs beyond the classroom.
For the first time, KIPP Blytheville will have a competitive basketball team, so that our students can play against other schools. We are also bringing on a full-time music teacher and a full-time art teacher, to expand our performing arts groups and our class offerings in visual arts. We look forward to being able to display our students' art work both at school and around the community. In addition, we have performances planned for our students groups, including a high-quality choir. We believe opportunities like these are crucial for our students' development, both as scholars and as individuals.
As we move forward, KIPP Blytheville is committed to keeping our academic standards high, and we plan to keep posting high achievement results year after year. But we are also eager to see how our students develop new skills through the important and enriching lessons they will learn beyond the classroom.