patti vickman
It would be difficult to find a more enthusiastic supporter of the SAGE program than Webster-Stanley Principal Patti Vickman.

When she first heard about the program at a DPI conference, she immediately knew she wanted it for her school. From the start, she has guided Webster-Stanley's involvement, taking care of the red tape while directly involving teachers and staff in all the important decision-making. It has been that total involvement and commitment of staff that has made the program so successful.

SAGE has become the school's pride and joy. And Patti says it's not just the SAGE classrooms that celebrate the program or benefit from it. SAGE has benefited the entire school, she says. The smaller class sizes are certainly a direct benefit to the children in SAGE classrooms, but the other elements of the program spill over into other classrooms and grades - staff development programs, family and community involvement activities, and a renewed emphasis on rigorous curriculum.

"The whole school benefits from SAGE," she said. "SAGE has really become a philosophy in terms of the school community working with parents and the outside community in partnership. Being a SAGE school gives us more leverage to try new things."

The school is so proud of its transformation under SAGE that it has put together a Power Point presentation outlining the program and its many offshoots such as Family-Community Involvement programs.