John Sample
Proud Superintendent
Busy Summer – Great School Year Ahead
It doesn’t seem as if much time has passed since summer school ended in our district. Looking back, the summer months have been a busy time for many of our administrators, teachers and School Board members. Some of our important events, duties and tasks have included:
•Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators Legal Seminar
•What’s Right in Education Studer Education Conference
•Fab Lab Meet and Greet with Area Businesses/Manufacturers
•MAPS Administrator/Board Member Retreat
•MAPS Board Retreat
•Variety of Teacher Trainings and Workshops
Board meetings and committee meetings continued during these months, since much preparation is needed prior to every school year. Board meetings occurred each month, as well as meetings of the Finance/Human Resources Committee, Facility Committee, Curriculum/Technology/ Pupil Services Committee, Safety Committee, Legislative Committee and the Policy Committee.
May, June and July are the busiest part of the hiring season. Many vacancies were posted due to a large number of retirements this year. I am extremely pleased with the employees we hired to join the Bluejay nest this year. Of the 23 new teachers hired, 16 of those teachers came to us with prior experience. Your support of the referendum and the established priority of attracting/retaining quality staff, in conjunction with the new teacher compensation plan, directly contributed to our success.
We continue to “raise the bar” each and every school year because our students deserve the best. We have established a variety of expectations for the 2018-2019 school year in order for our students to achieve at their highest level.
Professionalism is an expectation of all service industries and the field of education is certainly no different. Customer service is imperative in order to maintain strong partnerships with our parents and students. Conducting ourselves at a level deserving of being a professional educator is a responsibility that we owe to this noble career – that of being an educator.
Professional development will continue to be a focus with our staff. Our teachers must remain knowledgeable to expect quality results from those they teach. Changes in technology and the ability to utilize the most effective academic and behavioral strategies require ongoing growth.
Communication on a variety of levels will continue to be emphasized. Parents should not be left to wonder how their child is doing in the classroom, so transparency plays an important role. Our teachers will consistently communicate with our parents to keep them informed. The process of communication requires involvement from both parties so parents are also invited to initiate contact with their child’s teacher as well.
Safety is our highest priority! The Department of Justice grant we recently received will assist us in making our students safer than ever before. Additional security barriers and engaging in proactive training measures are just two areas our community can expect from us this year. We have applied for a second grant offered by the Department of Justice and will share the outcome of that process once available.
Yes, summer is over but now the hardest work begins. Buildings that were relatively quiet are now filled with eager students – students counting on us to keep them safe, offer nutritious meals, meet their social/emotional needs, empower them to excel academically and provide the beginning of a successful future.
Please remember it is our partnership with our parents that remains the most highly valued.
“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.” Jane D. Hull, former teacher and former Governor of Arizona.
Please work closely with our teachers and principals to make 2018-2019 the best year yet!