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New Schools, New Beginnings, New Friends
September 9, 2005
A Message from Dr. Don Helmstetter, Superintendent Greetings! The contents of this column are taken from a letter sent home with all of the district’s elementary students at the end of the first week of school. Since we know that not all pieces of paper sent home with our youngsters make it into the hands of their parents, I am also making these comments available for you here. While this was originally written for those at the elementary level, it has a message suitable for all. “New Schools, New Beginnings, New Friends.” We are already at the end of our first week of school. The children have met their teachers, made new friends, and those who are in a different school this year have begun to make the adjustment. I’ve heard many positive comments about students who are pleased with their new schools and parents who feel that the “elementary transition” went smoothly. As with the start of any new school year, not everything has gone without a hitch, but I can assure you that the children are working hard in their new classrooms, learning new skills, and preparing for greater levels of achievement. While over 90 percent of our bus transportation routes ran as expected and on time, there were a few notable exceptions. I’ve talked with a number of parents affected by transportation issues, and I humbly apologize to all whose children were negatively impacted. We have spent countless hours this week to rectify the situation, and to review and revise the procedures so these events do not occur in the future. The start of the 2005-06 school year has been eventful in many positive ways. Here are a few: • Our class size ceilings are better than they have been in well over a decade. Even though enrollments have grown at every grade level, this fall, for the first time, the district was able to quickly and efficiently provide appropriate staffing in classrooms to accommodate that growth in an equitable and proactive manner. This is very positive result of our New Beginnings elementary reconfiguration. • Our kindergarten enrollment, which has been higher than 307 only once in the past twenty years, has reached 354. In fact, on September 1 and 2, we registered 14 new kindergarten students! This phenomenal growth, coupled with the late registration of many students, contributed to a little bit of excitement and a little bit of adjusting on the first day of school. • Another positive result of decisions made in our New Beginnings elementary reconfiguration is that elementary students are receiving the most equitable levels—ever—of art, physical education, and music at each of the schools. They are receiving greater, more intensive levels of support services as well experiencing, on average, smaller class sizes than ever before. • Teachers have already enjoyed the opportunity for grade level professional learning community training, and they’ll use their mutual planning time together to address student needs and teaching strategies. As a district, we knew there would be challenges in this transition process, and, believe me, we have spent a lot of time planning and preparing for the start of school this fall. We wanted it to work perfectly, just as you did, and we are seeing some very good results. Wherever we fell short, we will continue to improve. My pledge to you is this: Each member of the staff of School District 16 will make every effort to see that each day improves even more than the last, and your children will have a safe and pleasant experience this year marked by significant gains in academic achievement. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at 763-786-5570 or by e-mail at dhelms@district16.org. Here’s to successful New Beginnings! Don Helmstetter, Ph.D. Superintendent of Schools |
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