Sayre Elementary is a community of learners. We have skilled and motivated teachers and staff working together with parents in a caring environment. Our goal is to provide the best possible education to our 510 students.

Sayre Elementary School is located in the City of South Lyon in the southwest corner of Oakland County. South Lyon is twenty minutes from the city of Ann Arbor and forty-five minutes from Detroit. It is a fast-growing yet close-knit community with many cultural and recreational attractions just a short distance away. The University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, and Washtenaw Community College are located nearby, and South Lyon has the potential for lifelong learning.

Sayre was built in 1960 on land donated by the Sayre family, who had farmed the land. At present, the school is an attractive facility that recently benefited from a five million dollar remodeling effort that was completed in the fall of 1999. All rooms were remodeled, and seven new classrooms, in addition to a gymnasium and media center, were added. A separate technology bond provided four computers for every classroom as well as a fast LAN and Internet access, which is strictly controlled for the safety of the students. Local video networking provides educational programming and production possibilities for students. A mini-lab in the media center houses 12 additional computers for student use. The media center overlooks a large, secure, tree-lined playground with six soccer fields, a baseball diamond, four outdoor basketball hoops, and well-maintained playground equipment.

Teachers at Sayre are well trained and use best practice as their guide to instruction. They are hard-working, intelligent, and informed in the latest educational ideas that will help children learn. Each year, our teachers log at least thirty hours each in professional training. 32 hours of yearly staff meeting time allow teachers to learn new information, reflect on their practices, and dialogue with their colleagues to improve teaching and learning. Teachers are available to parents by phone, voice mail, and e-mail. We have an excellent blend of experienced and new teachers who collaborate with each other in a variety of teaming concepts that help children.

Sayre Elementary utilizes a variety of assessments to improve instructional delivery. Some of these are teacher generated, some are district generated, and others are State standardized tests. The Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) is administered to students in grades 3-5 in mid-October each year.

Students experience special subjects like art, music, physical education, library, and special programs such as reading recovery, speech and language, and learning resource rooms. We are proud of our Child Study process, our Student Placement Committee, and our 504 Committee. These teacher-led committees meet with parents and other professional staff to make plans for children with learning challenges. Their goal is to serve as resources for parents in the education of their children, while complying with all mandatory guidelines.

Parents are very interested in the education of their children and want to be involved at Sayre. Ninety-seven percent of our parents attended parent teacher conferences in the fall. Special events, such as music programs and Family Learning Night, are exceptionally well attended. Each month, we formally log over 400 hours of volunteer time in over twenty categories. A parent coordinator leads the volunteers in a program called CHEERS, which is also organized at the district level. The Sayre PTO is structured into nine Action Committees. Each year its members organize assemblies, school-wide projects, and family fun nights that are enjoyed by all.

Guidelines for decision making at Sayre are set by a Board of Education policy called the Shared Involvement Process. Important financial, organizational, and school policy issues are considered at monthly meetings composed of four parents, four teachers, one support staff, and the principal. The SIP committee makes a strong home to school connection. Community input is valued.

Sayre Elementary school is accredited through AdvancED/NCA CASI. To earn accreditation, Sayre must continually meet the seven AdvancED standards, which are derived from educational research and best practice; engage in a continuous process of improvement; and demonstrate quality assurance through internal and external review. For more information about AdvancED and accreditation, click here. We encourage you to become familiar with our progress and goals by reading our School Improvement Report, which is available in our school office. Our core curriculum is aligned with the Michigan Department of Education’s Curriculum Framework. These standards and benchmarks are included in our South Lyon Community Schools curriculum guides, available in our school office and on the district website. Click here to view the elementary curriculum guide.

Our School Improvement goals are:

• All students will improve their proficiency in mathematical reasoning and fluency.
• All students will improve their reading comprehension skills and strategies for constructing meaning across multiple genres.
• All students will improve their writing knowledge and strategies when writing to communicate ideas. Students will focus on providing relevant and accurate details to support a main idea.

Another area of focus for the members of the Sayre Elementary School Community is practice and review of the “Habits of Mind” (HoM). HoM are the thinking tools that people need in order to be successful in all aspects of our society. This includes at home when interacting with family, friends and neighbors; at work when completing a project; at school when facing learning challenges; and, in society in general. The HoM are: