Summer flew, and here we are in August with a new school year underway….
Back–to-school rituals are something all parents can relate to, as we document the new year with “first-day-of-school” photos, wave walkers and bus riders on their way, and resolve once again to make this the year we’ll enforce earlier bedtimes for our kids.
Year to year, there is a familiar pattern associated with returning to the classroom. While some might see a new school year as resuming a routine, in District 96, it really is anything but that! Our commitment to continuous improvement makes every year new, ripe with opportunity for everyone in our learning community–children and adults–to experience the pleasure and pride of giving their personal best.
I hope you’ll take time to review this STATE OF THE DISTRICT 2018 report that I prepared this summer and presented to our Board of Education last month. It’s a comprehensive view of the contributions of the many who make District 96 the highly regarded, exemplary school district it is for our children and their teachers to learn, work, and grow in, year after year. I believe that, like me, you’ll be impressed and proud of the scope of the work and the strategic vision this report describes.
My role as superintendent brings with it many opportunities for leadership that engage me in discussions with educators locally and around the country. Often, the talk is about formidable challenges those educators face in their districts. My takeaway from those encounters always is a truly humbling appreciation for the exceptionally wholehearted commitment of this District 96 community to ensuring that every child in our schools – every day– is equipped with what he or she needs to succeed in not only this year's classroom, but in classrooms and careers to come.
As we turn the page on August and plunge into the 2018–19 school year, I hope you’ll feel and share in our excitement of the “new” that lies ahead for our learning community. TAKE A LOOK at the fun and fresh focus that characterized our faculty and staff Opening Institute and Meet the Teacher last week. The enthusiasm is appropriate, indeed! In District 96 lifelong learners are nurtured, opportunities to achieve maximum potential abound, and “new” is the route our students and staff will take to develop talents, explore interests, and discover passions.
Warm regards,
Julie Schmidt, District 96 Superintendent