May. The days are noticeably longer, yet they seem to fly by so much more quickly! It is the time of year where students start to get squirrely in their seats, parents navigate a plethora of activities and school events, and school staff race to the finish line of yet another school year. We will say goodbye to our beloved colleagues who are continuing on to a new journey in retirement, and we’ll beam with pride as the Class of 2023 heads out to change the world.
For us, May is also a time for reflection; we begin to look back at the year that is soon to be behind us, and we look for ways to improve our craft in the upcoming years. We acknowledge and celebrate our teachers and school staff, and express our sincere gratitude to this team of educators who continue to make extraordinary contributions to the lives of our students, and to each other. They inspire me with their grace, determination and innovation, and with the level of commitment that they give to our students and families on a daily basis. Thank you!
It is also critical that we take time each year to celebrate the many accomplishments and successes of our staff and students. This year, we want to celebrate our continued commitments to social emotional learning and student engagement, which have led us to evaluate and develop improvements in student and staff culture and climate. We are grateful for so many valued community partnerships that support this work, which include, but are not limited to: KYD Network, Gryphon Place, Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, Kids Hope USA, Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Kalamazoo Township Police Department, Kalamazoo County Ready 4’s, Kalamazoo RESA and the Michigan Department of Education.
In the 22-23 school year, we also renewed our commitment to Early Childhood education, by expanding and enhancing our programming for Pre-K students and building capacity in our Early Childhood staff through intentional professional development and renewed resource allocation. We also raised the bar on our commitment to Career Awareness and Exploration by enhancing programming at the K-5 level, increasing opportunities for students at the secondary level, and aligning efforts through the development of a K-12 continuum of CAE supports that extends from our kindergarten classrooms to our Parchment Innovation Center job shadow placements.
Finally, we continue to expand our focus on the “whole child” and on ensuring equitable access for all students through the development of our framework for Multi-tiered Systems of Support. This has included enhanced social work services, intentional SEL integration, improved behavioral tracking systems, aligned student response systems and more intentional, data-based programming and interventions.
We have many things to celebrate, and these examples represent just a few of the things we are proud of as a district. Please know that as parents and community members, your cooperation is not only appreciated, but critical to the success of our students. We are grateful every day for your support, contributions, and cooperation as we collaboratively work to raise strong, healthy and kind humans.
Proud to be a Panther,
Dr. Sarah Neumann