Four weeks have come and gone in this school year, and important pieces of our educational puzzle are starting to fall into place. Schedules and routines are getting locked in, students and staff are getting back in the groove, and school is starting to feel a little more "normal" each day. We all look forward to the day when the words "
pandemic," "
quarantine," and "
masks" are no longer a part of our daily vocabulary. Until that time comes, we are making the very best of this situation that we can. Here is some of what is going on in District #35.
Pot Holes and Speed Bumps:
- Transportation is in a critical place. First Student (FS) is barely able to staff enough routes for us to get kids to and from school every day. Until they can find more drivers, sports trips and field trips are only going to be possible on the weekends. If FS loses a driver to illness, quarantine, or any other reason, our ability to bus all students to school could be impacted.
Celebrations and Successes:
- COVID-19 cases and quarantines in our schools have been declining in the past two weeks. Parents, please check your child's health every day and make sure not to send them to school with cold or flu symptoms. Let's keep those numbers down!!
- We have some new playground equipment on the Elementary East Campus. Yay!! The swings I played on 43 years ago have finally been replaced. :-)
What is the District working on?
- One of our District goals is "Fostering Communication." We have completed a communications audit and are working to implement some of the suggestions from that audit. We hope you will see improvements in the quantity and quality of communication coming from the district level via newsletters, website improvements, and more.
- Another District goal is focusing on "Student Character and Well-being." Our schools have been focusing on improving all aspects of our behavioral support systems. We want our students and staff to be in a safe, supportive, and orderly environment. These cultural shifts take time, but we are excited and optimistic that our efforts will greatly improve the environment in all of our schools.
Kudos:
- Our custodial team has been stepping up in big ways. Maintenance director Scott Hanson along with several administrators specifically praised Garret Bigley, Dustin Holland, Jim Huslander and Samuel Esparza for going above and beyond for our schools.
SVA principal Morgan Cottle recommended new elementary teacher Halle Brandenburg for a kudo. Morgan says she is creating a wonderful atmosphere for her students, balanced with high expectations and student success. Great work, Ms. Brandenburg!
