Dear Parents and Community Members,

 
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break and your children feel good about returning to school.
 
As we think about 2012, there is a glimmer of hope that the worst of the financial crisis may be over. Just recently, better economic news has emerged that has increased consumer confidence, which leads to more spending, jobs and tax revenue. (Sometimes I think the economic crisis is as much a state of mind as a state of finance.)  If our district continues to experience enrollment growth and if the economy really does start to pick up, we could find ourselves in a much better financial position than in the past several years. (I know there are a few “ifs” in this picture, but at least we can now see a scenario that is hopeful.)

Entering this new year, I have challenged the staff to expand the definition of “students at risk”. Certainly students who are struggling academically are most at risk, but I believe we need to incorporate other elements as well. In my mind there could be a long list of factors that might put students at risk regarding their success and happiness in a changing global environment. Students may be “at risk” if they work well independently but not with others, prefer lecture over active learning, lack the confidence and/or skills to verbally present a report, or lack the technology skills to create a powerful  multimedia presentation. These are a just few factors that come to mind. I have encouraged each school to ponder for themselves what skills and aptitudes (or lack thereof)  may place students at risk as they move forward in life.  I believe this is an important conversation for the school district and the community to engage in.

As for the district in 2012, the Board of Education is considering a facilities bond election for June. While no decision has been made, there is no denying that we still have facilities that need to be modernized, a district in need of a stronger technology infrastructure, and additional classrooms needed for growth and/or class size reduction when it is reinstated. To assist in this process, community forums will be scheduled in the near future to solicit public feedback regarding a possible bond as well as suggestions related to potential facility improvement projects. The forums will focus on each high school along with the feeder schools (elementary and middle) in that particular area. Please watch for a future announcement regarding dates and times.
 
Whether we have a bond election or not, we are not going to stop the other important work that is occurring in the district. Over the next few months we are expecting each school to collectively address our guiding questions which are centered on the evidence of rigor, relevance and relationships at each school. These questions are intended to make certain that we keep first things first.
 
There is also an initiative in the works intended to increase the placement of digital devices in the hands of students in regular classrooms (as opposed to computer labs). A committee of teachers, community members and administrators is working on this initiative, and I believe we can expect a formal proposal no later than early March.
 
Finally, we will be rolling out a new communication system that will allow every school, the PTA, and the district to easily communicate with parents via text, email and phone messages. The system is called School Messenger, and some of you who have been in other districts may be familiar with it as it is a very popular communication tool. This will allow us to communicate far more effectively for both routine messages as well as in emergency situations.
 
Like all years, 2012 will bring both challenges and opportunities, some expected and some unexpected. But what matters most is that we continue to have high expectations for student learning, take individual and collective responsibility for students' academic success and struggles, and remain dedicated to the mission of public education. We must continue to be a school district that sees all students as “at-risk,” as even high achieving students must be nurtured and supported so they truly can become all that they can be.   Because of the staff we have in our district, and because of deep community support,  you can have confidence that SRVUSD will continue to serve our students and our community at an exceptional level.
 
Thank you for your commitment to our students and to our district. Have a great January and a good year ahead!
 
Steven Enoch
Superintendent of Schools