Principal's Message

Welcome to our new Ridgewood Elementary School webpage.  I am proud to start my 9th year as the principal at Ridgewood School.  We believe that every child is special and deserves the best education possible.  Ridgewood School has been recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education for being a "Spotlight School" for 2007, 2008, and 2009.  This is an award that is given to schools that have high academic perfromance on state tests despite having a high incidence of students that live in poverty.  Over 80% of our students either meet or exceed state standards on these state tests.
How do we do this?  We have an excellent teaching and support staff, hard working students, and a generous, supportive parent base.  The Ridgewood P.T.A. is a part of this caring network.  My challenge to all of the Ridgewood parents is to join P.T.A. this year.
For the 2010-2011 school year, we received two grants:  CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) and Safe Routes to school.  We will be planning a Family Fun Night in October that will center on wellness.  We will also continue our "Walk to School Wednesdays."
Finally, we continue our proud partnership with Western Illinois University.  W.I.U. students come to Ridgewood to help in our after school programs (Aim High and W.O.W.) and they are in classrooms as pre-student and student teachers.  
 I invite all parents and community members to stop in and take a look at all of the wonderful things going on at Ridgewood School.  We are proud of our accomplishments!
Best wishes for a wonderful school year!
Sheri Coder, Principal




 

Our Mission

Our mission statement:
“We the staff, students, and parents of Ridgewood School pledge to provide QUALITY learning in a CARING environment.”

About Our School

Ridgewood School is a kindergarten through 4th grade elementary with approximately 400 students.  We have highly qualified classroom teachers.  In addition, Ridgewood School has highly qualified staff members in the following areas:  Title I Reading, Kindergarten Literacy, Reading Excellence Partner, Music, Physical Education, Special Education, and Bilingual Education.  We do have a full-time counselor and we share a certified nurse wth Wells Elementary.
Our students perform at a high level on state mandated tests (ISAT).  More information about our student demographics and performance can be found on the Illinois Interactive Report Card:  www.iirc.niu.edu 

 We have an amazing amount of programs for our students.  First, Ridgewood has an after school science enrichment program for our 3rd and 4th graders.  W.I.U. students serve as tutors for these hands-on experiences.  Second, we have our Ridgewood Running Club for both our fall and spring semesters.  This is a chance for students to get fit and find the joy in physical activity.  Third, we are a "safe routes" school.  We are working with staff, parents, and the city of East Moline to create a more walking friendly environment around the school campus.  Our Walk to School Wednesdays is a part of this initiative.  Finally, we are starting our first year of a CATCH program.  This will help us take child health to a whole new level:  lessons, games, and a Family Fun Night to involve the whole family in making healthy choices.  Our programs make Ridgewood School a great place to learn and have fun!