Superintendent Update

Dear Families:

I am delighted our school year has kicked off with incredible success and enthusiasm. Again, our people and the solid and devoted community we foster lead to such success. Our staff and students have established a welcoming and fun climate conducive to everyone learning and feeling a sense of belonging. We're quickly acclimating to new routines in order to streamline arrival and dismissal and improve traffic patterns, safety and engagement. It has required entire team support, and you have played a critical role. We've reconfirmed and are enforcing our existing guidelines for use of electronic devices by students in school across all buildings and have deliberately aligned classroom practices to mirror the expectations. Thanks to everyone's buy-in, students report improved clarity, and our staff has shared with me comments on the reduced classroom distractions. Our guidelines aim to progressively teach responsible use of devices that curbs addiction and lessens the harmful documented effects of social media. Each school's student handbook outlines these guidelines. You can find them on the school's website (link to school directory).

As we move forward into the academic year, let's continue to foster that strong partnership between home and school to ensure our students' continued success and well-being. Over the last few years, we've improved upon our communication structures aligned to your needs and feedback. Part of that begins with this district update this evening, followed by the first monthly School Newsletters (for October) emailed to you on Friday. You can expect two virtual Town Hall meetings this year to generate dialogue on crucial topics such as curriculum advancements, safety and security. There will be one in the fall and one in the spring.

Finally, this year marks the third year of our District's Strategic Plan, "Choosing to Rise." We invested considerable effort into creating this comprehensive, five-year plan. Thanks to the focus, we've already seen gains in all four focus areas - Curriuclum, Instruction, Implementation Systems, and Well-Being of Self and Community. All materials, including this year's Management Plan, are available on our website HERE. The 2023-24 Management Plan provides a comprehensive look at all this year's strategic priorities and the action steps to achieve those goals.

Thank you again for entrusting us with your children's education and making the journey a shared experience. Here's to a year filled with learning, growth, and countless accomplishments!

In partnership,

Aaron R. Johnson, Ed.D

Superintendent of Schools

Families:

We have openings for parents/guardians on four of our School Based Planning Teams. Please click on the attachment below to learn more about guidelines and the role of SBPT members. We have openings in the following buildings:

• Irondequoit HS (2 spots)
• Dake Jr. HS (1 alternate spot)
• Rogers MS (1 spot)
• Briarwood (2 spots)

Thank you for considering this opportunity to partner with your child's school and our district.

You may have noticed a change in arrival and dismissal of students throughout the district. Traffic signs have been added at many of our schools to assist with traffic flow and the safety of our students during the very busy time of arrival and dismissal.

Along with signs you will notice staff located in the Student Drop-Off zones to assist with dropping off students. We do ask when dropping your student(s) off to please move as far forward as possible in the drop off zones. This alleviates some congestion. Please understand that there is a large convergence of vehicles during arrival and dismissal. Your patience is greatly appreciated. At the K-3 level, you may also see staff members opening doors to vehicles to assist students and help give them a warm welcome to school.

We will continue to review and look for ways to improve the process of arrival and dismissal. Student safety is our priority. If you have feedback, feel free to share it with your Principal.

A month into a new school year is a great time to share thoughts on actions we can all take to continue to make our schools a place to welcome, nurture and inspire students. We encourage family engagement with our staff. In fact, we think the home-school partnership is critical for students to succeed socially, mentally and academically.

If you have questions about your child's school or procedures and rules, a good first place to start is the Student Handbook. It can be found on the school website (school directory list). If students have a specific issue or concern, we encourage them to first talk to their teacher, counselor or another adult in their building, someone who is closest to the situation. They should feel empowered to advocate for themselves. If your child or your family does not feel the issue has been resolved, the next step is contacting the school Principal or appropriate director. If you still think the issue needs more attention contact District Office, who will put you in touch with the appropriate district-level administrator. Finally, if you necessary, you may contact the Superintendent, Aaron Johnson.

Resolving problems is a collective effort, requiring accountability from all sides. We appreciate your cooperation.

Starting next Monday, Oct. 3 the COVID-19 Home Test Kits pictured above will be available at your child's school in the main office. Please feel free to stop and ask our staff for one or ask your child to inquire about one in main office (two tests per box).

We have a limited supply, so we ask that you take only one for each child you have enrolled in school. Please know that the expiration date on these kits, which is listed as October 2023, has been extended by 15 months by the Food & Drug Administration.

We are well underway in the process of hiring the next principal of Rogers Middle School. This process entails many different steps and involves multiple stakeholders.

After an eight-week open posting for the position, candidates’ materials are reviewed by a committee that consists of district and building leadership as well as staff. Some candidates are then moved forward to engage in a screening interview. From the screening interview some candidates will move forward to interview with three different committees (student committee, staff and parent/guardian committee, and a leadership committee). Finalists will then move forward to an interview with the executive leadership team and an interview with the Superintendent. Finalists will also engage in a presentation/meet and greet with Rogers staff and visitations to the applicant’s current district will also occur.

In addition to the interview process, surveys were completed by parents/guardians, students, and staff to gather more information that will be used to inform the process.

A new school year is well underway and we have jobs to fill! We offer competitive pay and strong benefits. Please consider joining our team! Click the link to see current openings: bit.ly/Jobs_WI. Not interested but know someone who might be? We’d appreciate you sharing this! Thank you!

Who wants to meet an owl? Register in advance for Owl Prowl this Friday & Saturday at Helmer Nature Center, 154 Pinegrove Ave. Spots are limited. Call/email to register for this family-friendly event! Email: HelmerNatureCenter@gmail.com

A PICTURE OF OUR ENTIRE STAFF JUST BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTED!

Email: public_info@westiron.monroe.edu
Website: westirondequoit.org
Location: 321 List Avenue, Irondequoit, NY, USA
Phone: 585-342-5500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestIrondequoitCSD
Twitter: @WestIrondequoit