Professional Development News - LETRS Program

Our elementary schools are buzzing with learning as educators participate in LETRS, a rigorous two-year training program totaling over 140 hours, designed to enhance their expertise in evidence-based reading instruction. As stated on their website:

The Lexia LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) Suite is comprehensive professional learning designed to provide early childhood and elementary educators and administrators with deep knowledge to be literacy and language experts in the science of reading. Developed by Dr. Louisa Moats and leaders in the field of literacy, Lexia LETRS teaches the skills needed to master the foundational and fundamentals of reading and writing instruction – phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and written language.

This initiative is CCS’ proactive response to the Minnesota READ Act, which aims to ensure that every Minnesota child reads at or above grade level from kindergarten onward.

Kelly Kirks, Principal at St. Mary Help of Christians School and participant in the training, shares, “I love learning alongside my teachers through LETRS training. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see them implement what they are learning in their classrooms, making a real impact on our students’ literacy development.”

Erin Hatlestad, former Middle School Principal at Cathedral and current Director of Middle School Programming, has recently been appointed Education Program Specialist for CCS. Erin shared her enthusiasm for the initiative and its impact on Catholic Community Schools: “We are committed to supporting our teachers, who are always looking for ways to improve instruction and refine their practices. Implementing these strategies in classrooms will greatly strengthen our literacy programs across the system.”