Kiara can be introverted. But Fellows knew Kiara was paying attention, and later Kiara proved it. When Fellows played a video on wetlands before students started a novel on the same subject, Kiara filled her binder with copious notes - jotting down more than most of her classmates. Fellows and other Selwyn teachers say they know their students. For each grade, at least one teacher has been at the school at least five years.
Teachers follow up on former students' progress.
One teacher assistant still serves as a mentor to a student who left her classroom four years ago. And like Kiara, many Selwyn students spend most if not all of their elementary school years here. Teachers say this low turnover allows them to build on what students learn. Kiara's mother, Melissa Harris, said her daughter's teachers all know that she's quiet. Kiara may not be the first one to raise her hand, but she knows that her teachers are still setting high expectations for her in her schoolwork and behavior.