Happy New Year!
I hope that all of you had a restful and relaxing break. Taking time to reflect and slow down is so critical in the work we do. As educators, we're constantly working to support others, and it's important to recharge and re-energize during long breaks as well as throughout the year. It's been great to see both formal and informal groups of educators forming at our schools to share time together and support each other. I think this says a lot about who we are.
We have a lot of important and exciting work ahead over the next five months, from our focus on art culminating in Spring into the Arts to our work in developing unified systems of support for all students to our continued learning and development of International Baccalaureate. In 2019, we will continue to grow and learn together, across schools and programs, leveraging our shared expertise in reflecting on where we've been and where we want to go.
We left for break in the wake of the threat at MUMS, and grappled with the potential for school violence in our own community. I am grateful to all who worked together, from students to police to teachers to administration. I will be working with local agency representatives next week to debrief the event, and the ACSD Safety Committee will be continuing that learning as they look at systems that are in place and where we need to focus our attention. In addition, our work with ALICE will continue in the New Year as we provide appropriate training to students.
The work we did last year in responding to declining enrollment has placed us in a good position going into our first budget draft of next year's budget, which will be presented to the Board on Monday, January 7. Look for more information on specifics within the budget later this week when the board mailing is sent out. It is reassuring to see how strongly our communities support the critical work we do in helping each student find success regardless of their life experiences.
Thank you for making 2018 a great year. It was a year of sharing your knowledge, understanding, and heart with our students as you helped them craft a vision for their future. I saw this countless times throughout all of our schools, heard it from parents and students, and witnessed it in my own children. I expect that 2019 will be even better!
Sincerely,
Peter |
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Superintendent's Communique