Welcome back! The school year is well underway and all are back in the swing of things. I hope your children feel refreshed, re-energized, and ready for all that 2018-2019 will bring. If you didn’t get to catch the Opening Day video, please click here to view it.

As our staff embarked upon the new school year, the “educational” focus was on the neuroscience of the brain and the most appropriate teaching practices to facilitate learning. As we continually strive to improve the experiences of our students and move our schools from “great” to “greater,” the teaching and learning aspects of our work will always be priority focus areas.  In the 2018-2019 school year additional areas of focus include safe and supportive schools and inclusion.

Safe and supportive schools refers to the design of our buildings and the response protocols we practice to be prepared in the event of an emergency. We have been working to update our protocols to include the Run, Hide, Fight (Resist) component based upon the work of the Department of Homeland Security, https://www.ready.gov/active-shooter. All of our staff have been trained and are planning with their building administrators what it actually means to run, hide, or fight, as well as how the information is communicated to students and put into practice. You will continue to receive information on how this component will be implemented and shared with students.

Safe and supportive schools also refers to the perspective of our students feeling included in their school community and safe in their environment. We know that if our students do not feel safe, they cannot learn. Unfortunately, I have discovered that we have students among us struggling to feel respected, included, or comfortable in their schools.  We are working diligently to increase our awareness of student interactions and to “say something if we see something” to ensure all students are appropriately included. Whether to intervene and put a stop to a disrespectful encounter, encourage one who appears disconnected, or offer more challenging academic coursework, the interactions and the connections we have with our students are imperative in nurturing respectful, inclusive, and safe school communities. The recently initiated PV Partners for Equity and Inclusion group is working to enhance our awareness and cultivate appropriate change to yield stronger connections within our school communities.

As a District, we are strong and I am confident we can overcome any obstacles and afford all students rich and rewarding school experiences. As I engaged with fall athletes recently, they demonstrated how much they love their school and their teachers. In recent conversations with parents, they commented on the caring relationships among teachers and students within our schools. This makes us a special District and this year we will work to make our communities even more “community” in nature and nurture more positive feelings on the part of all who are a part of them. I am confident we will grow and become stronger in this respect. Thank you for a wonderful start to the school year; let’s make it a rewarding one!

Sincerely,