The first month of school is successfully behind us...for the most part everyone seems happy to be back! Adjusting to the longer school day is a work in progress and we will keep close track of the impact on students and staff. Change is a constant in the business of education!
Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate the groundbreaking for our new high school on September 15! It was great fun to thank everyone that contributed to this spectacular project from the Facilities Task Force that determined what was needed, to the Bond Committee that secured in a $110 million citizen investment to the Design Committees that have been working for months on new school designs.
Friday, September 18th was our first day with no school and our first Choice Friday (www.choicefriday.org). We hope you found the time to take a look at the amazing array of opportunities for your children. And thank you again to everyone who was volunteered to make this happen!
Choice Friday has truly been a community initiative created through partnership and will provide a safe place for students to learn and grow on days when we cannot afford school. Our partners including 4-H, Redmond Area Parks and Recreation, Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Oregon and many others have met the challenge of reduced budgets with courage and commitment!
We are watching our enrollment numbers carefully and at first glance it appears that we have not grown but are right about where we were at the end of the past school year - close to 7,000 students. This is good news for now as our revenue from the State School Fund is directly related to the number of students we enroll.
On a personal note, I am very excited about the progress we have made on student achievement and closing the achievement gap. As final state assessment results were reported, some of our elementary schools increased their number of students meeting reading standards by 15% or more. This kind of growth is possible when dedicated teachers have the time and support they need to adjust instruction to meet individual needs…congratulations!
Look for some new information on our website soon. We will be adding personal profiles of each of our administrative team members. I am very proud of the professionals charged with leading our district and school improvement efforts and would like you to get to know them better.
We look forward to this school year, to great things happening in our communities and with our students. We will be communicating district activities in accord with our commitment to ‘Keeping it SIMPLE’...Service, Innovation, Mentorship, Leadership and Excellence….clear values in a complex world!
This is definitely a time to come together, to support one another. Many families are struggling to make ends meet….I hope you will find a way to reach out, volunteer or just offer a word of encouragement.
We appreciate your continued confidence in our school district – it is going to be a great school year!
