Superintendent's Message for the 2011-12 School Year…

         I want to take a moment to personally welcome back our students, families, and staff members to the 2011-12 school year! This summer our staff worked extremely hard to incorporate new and innovative teaching methods throughout our school division.  One of the main changes for this year is the introduction of block scheduling into our school division through the High School and Middle School.  Block scheduling is a type of academic scheduling in which each student has fewer classes per day, each of which is scheduled for a longer period of time.  This is intended to result in more time for teaching due to less class switching and preparation.  It also allows for a student to take four electives, rather than two, or three. It means that homework for each class is not due each night, which I believe will benefit students and their families, allowing more quality family time together.  Part of the motivation for block scheduling is to prepare students for taking end-of-grade/end-of-course standardized tests used to measure student achievement.  Students benefit socially as well as academically as they will have the opportunity to work in groups to help them learn from each other, rather than to solely learn from teacher-delivered content. With our supportive staff and specialized guidance counselors, I know that this transition from the traditional six period classes to the newer block schedule will be done with great care, ensuring that the experience for both students and their families is a good one.