Dear Panther Family,
Another summer has flown by, and we find ourselves already on the brink of a new school year. Our staff has been working hard to update curriculum, facilities, security, programming, and resources to ensure a wonderful year for our students!
Over the years, I have experienced the first day of school as a student, teacher, principal, central office administrator, and, now, as a superintendent. This year marks my 16th “first day of school” as a Panther, and my 15th as a Panther Mom. People often ask me, “what do you love so much about Parchment?”. It’s such a simple question to answer, but it also includes many complexities.
Like many of you, we felt strongly that our girls weren’t cut out for just “anywhere”; the choice to educate our children in Parchment was intentional and filled with thought. We considered the free college that was offered in our (then) home district, but also considered the importance of the many years it takes to actually get a child to college. We considered the advantages and disadvantages of small schools and large, and the specific opportunities we wanted our girls to have- both academic and otherwise. We discussed our desire for them to experience challenges, diverse perspectives, and academic rigor. But most of all, we wanted our girls to be embraced and supported through their educational experiences so that they could grow into the young women we knew they were destined to be. We found that here. Our girls are each unique, and their needs are different. Parchment School District has wrapped its arms around our family as it does so many, offering a variety of supports, challenges, and opportunities along the way.
As a district, we pride ourselves in our commitment to supporting the whole child; we also know we have work to do, and opportunities for growth. In the coming year we are excited for you to experience some of our renewed commitments and refined focuses, which will help us better serve our students and families. We know that school is a “bridge” to so many things throughout a child’s life. Bridges connect isolated places; they allow people easier passage over an obstacle, and they bring people together. They remind us that even though we are on one side of something, we can cross over to the other.
The building of a bridge requires effort, trust, and communication; so does the crossing of a bridge. This will be a year of building bridges between the present and the future, crossing between our current pathway and our next one, and moving from where we are to where we want to be. We are grateful and honored to be trusted as the bridge-builders for our students, and we can’t wait to see where each student’s bridge takes them!
Proud to be a Panther,
