Superintendent's Update

Dear Families and Caregivers of South Kingstown School District,

To begin April’s update, I first want to thank everyone who was able to participate in this year’s SurveyWorks survey. I am pleased to report that we had over 20% of all families at each school in the District participate. As mentioned previously, having robust response rates lends both credibility and credence to the information shared and, as a result, the decisions that are then made by principals, school improvement teams, and the administration.

This month, I am again reaching out to invite you—our families and caregivers—to play a crucial role in shaping our district's future. Over the next few weeks and months, we are beginning the development of the district’s new strategic plan. Because this plan will guide our district's direction for the foreseeable future, it is essential that you not only have input- but that the plan’s core outcomes and aspirations reflect and resonate with you.

Most recently, the South Kingstown School District has been guided by the following mission:

“In partnership with families and the entire educational community, [our mission] is to educate and engage ALL of our students in the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure readiness and success in college and career.”

Additionally, this mission has been supported by “Collective Commitments” focused on:

Student Learning

• Culture of GROWTH & achievement

• Personalized, deeper learning to meet the needs of ALL

• Developing the WHOLE child

Collaborative Culture

• Grounded in shared decision-making & a professional learning community

• Engaging in active, open communication within an environment where it is safe to express differences, share successes, and learn from mistakes

• Develop partnerships with increased opportunities while fostering community pride

Continuous Improvement

• Measure student growth & learning with practices & quality assessments to inform our daily decisions

• Use of thoughtful, systematic processes to evaluate and improve all programs, strategies, and practices

• Ensure that ALL members of our community embrace the focus of GROWTH and learning

As we review and refine these guiding principles, your perspective as parents, guardians, and caregivers is invaluable. You have unique insights into aspects such as: How well are our current mission and commitments being fulfilled? Where can we strengthen our approach? What new priorities now exist that need to be addressed? What can we do to better serve all students in our community?

Your feedback will directly influence the development of our strategic plan and help ensure that our district's mission, vision, and values truly reflect South Kingstown’s aspirations and needs.

Please take 5-10 minutes to complete the survey found below by April 21, 2025. Your responses will be confidential and will be used solely for the purpose of developing our strategic plan.

The survey is available in multiple formats:

- Online at https://www.skschools.net/ or go directly to the survey by clicking here

- Paper copies will be made available by request at school main offices

After collecting and analyzing feedback from families, staff, students, and community members, the district’s Strategic Planning Sub-Committee will use information from this outreach, along with other recent needs assessments, accreditation reports, and what we know about both “best” and “next” practices in education to revise and finalize our mission, vision, and values, as well as develop strategic goals and action plans.

I look forward to your participation in this important process. Together, we will ensure South Kingstown is a district that works collectively to meet the needs of all our students and prepares them for success in an ever-changing world.

Respectfully,

Michael J. Podraza

Superintendent of Schools

“When large numbers of people have a deeply understood sense of what needs to be done—and see their part in achieving that purpose—coherence emerges and powerful things happen.”

~Michael Fullan~

Did you know that the average teacher makes over 1,500 educational decisions every school day?

As of April 1, we have had strong participation in SurveyWorks from our families with 495 participants! If you are a parent/guardian who did not complete a family survey, there is good news. We've received an extension from RIDE until this Friday, April 4.

With your help, we can get over 500 family participants this year. Thank you for taking the time to provide this valuable feedback to our schools.

Click the link below to be directed to the survey for your child's school.

Matunuck

Peace Dale

West Kingston

Broad Rock

SKHS

In other good news: Compared to last school year, our district has seen 2,245 fewer student absences so far this year. Thank you for ensuring your children attend school regularly - your commitment makes a significant difference!