Superintendent's Corner

As some of you know this is by far my favorite season of the year. The bright yellow gold leaves carpeting the ground, the crispness in the air and chilly mornings often define the uniqueness of this time of the year. Though I also appreciate these moments, it is the overwhelming sense of gratefulness and love that permeate this season that make it distinctive and special to me. I find myself living in the moment, enjoying the best part of the season by connecting and reconnecting with friends and family near and far. Holiday seasons hold different meanings for each of us. We make memories and share stories that reflect our personal experiences. For me, the nostalgia and tender memories associated with Thanksgiving are forever etched in my mind, and makes it a very special time of year indeed. As I write this letter, I am filled with excitement as I look forward to the large number of family members and close friends we will be welcoming in our home next week. Thanksgiving is about the gift of family, togetherness, friendship and giving.

From good food to gratitude and quality time with loved ones to cherished traditions, I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Let me share with you a few highlights from the week, as well as reminders of the upcoming meetings and events.

American Education Week (November 13-17) exists to celebrate the potential of all students. We also use this week to recognize and give thanks to all the teachers and professionals working within the education system, as well as honor the parents, guardians, and the community as we come together to observe a week dedicated to public education. First celebrated in 1921, this is an opportunity to celebrate public education, to inform the community of the accomplishments within our public schools, and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education. WSSD values the important partnerships we have forged with administrators, school boards, parents, students, and the community and all those making a difference in the lives of students and families.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the SHHS Drama - Romeo and Juliet that opened on November 9th, there is a show tonight at 7:00 PM and the closing show is on Saturday November 18th at 7:30 PM. Student tickets are $5 and adult tickets are $10. All WSSD faculty and staff are welcome to attend the show with complimentary tickets. I encourage you to attend one of these two performances and support our high school students who are involved.

“Who Wants To Be A Bazillionaire?” - Thank you to the middle school administration and Lisa Cobb for organizing and supporting this event for our students and families that provided the opportunity for parents/guardians to explore financial topics with children. The program was presented in the style of a live game show where contestants were selected from those in attendance to win real prizes. This was a fun and unique way for students to develop healthy financial habits by learning to earn, save, invest, and build credit.

Congratulations to all fall athletes who continued in postseason competitions and of course, our SHHS football team who will be continuing their season tomorrow night at 7pm against Springfield High School. Come out and support our athletes during this exciting game. All of our high school and middle school sports did a spectacular job during the fall season. I want to take this opportunity to thank our outstanding and committed coaches for encouraging our student athletes to be the best they can be on and off the field.

The Educational Affairs Committee met on November 15th. There was discussion about Desmos Middle School Math Resource, Middle School ELA Deleveling, and new coursework of AP Pre-Calculus at the high school level. The next meeting will be on December 20th.

The reorganization meeting of the School Board Directors will take place on December 4th at 7pm in the SHMS Library.

The Facilities & Finance Committee is scheduled for December 6th at 7pm in B226 at SHMS.

The Policy Committee is scheduled for December 13th at 7pm in B226 at SHMS.

Meetings are live-streamed and archived on WSSD YouTube Page. For more information and a link to the meeting schedules, please click here.

Email: helpdesk@wssd.org
Website: wssd.org
Location: 200 S Providence Rd, Wallingford, PA 19086, USA
Phone: 610-892-3470
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WallingfordSwarthmoreSchools/
Twitter: @WSSchools