At Jessup Elementary School, a U.S. Blue Ribbon School in Cheyenne, first- and second-grade teacher Cindy Mossey not only helps the students in her multiage classroom improve academically but also guides them toward developing positive social skills and behaviors that contribute to their overall success. Calling her students "Mossey's Kids," she instills in them a responsibility to the group for how they learn, what they do and how they represent the community. To promote literacy among her students, Ms. Mossey invites adults into the classroom to read to her students, calling them the Royal Readers. She has also written and received grants to fund libraries of books that focus on a variety of reading genres. Her instructional approach has led to significant growth in learning and has helped every child in her class score either "proficient" or "advanced." Thanks to the educational foundation she provides for them, Mossey's Kids have a much greater chance of becoming successful, well-educated adults.
