From the superintendent’s desk

Springing back into assemblies, field trips, and special celebrations

It has taken most of the school year, but we have gradually returned some normalcy back into our lives. With the mask mandates coming off last month, it has been refreshing to see smiling faces in school.  

We also have held multiple assemblies, which have not taken place over the past two years. 

The March is Reading Month assembly at Smith Elementary was a great example of the change in the school setting. The students were very engaged and demonstrated a lot of excitement for the reading initiatives that were shared. I know both staff and students left this assembly energized and excited to get started with their reading activities. The staff did a great job of motivating the students to read.

We continue to monitor COVID numbers in the school community, and they have been very low since the mask mandate was removed. This has allowed us to add spring field trips back into the schedule. Also, we have set a date for Prom – May 7, 2022, and a date for the Daddy Daughter Dance – April 9, 2022.  

The spring sports season has started, and we are looking forward to seeing our student athletes compete with our families cheering them on. We are working on a Sportsmanship Initiative that I am hoping will transform how we interact with others and have a positive impact on our climate and culture.

Student health and well-being is still a major priority for us, and we will continue to help students work through the various issues that have arisen over the last two years. We will continue to help them learn to engage with others and understand the impact that life during a pandemic has had on us all. Our desire is to engage each student so that they can learn, grow and pursue their dreams.

It is my hope that we can continue to work on building relationships. Some of the things that have divided our community are behind us, and I am hoping we can move forward in a positive way to focus on education and opportunity for our students. I am looking forward to a great spring and all of the growth yet to come.

Brian Friddle
Superintendent of Schools