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If I had to choose one word for this school year, it would be “connectedness." This year, we didn’t take for granted the time spent learning together, strengthening relationships and caring for one another. Our students are leaders in our schools and across the global community, seeing opportunities to apply what they have learned to solve problems in the world around them.
They raised more than $123,000 in seven weeks for Leukemia and Lymphoma research. By walking for water, the Thirst Project Team reached out to community partners, students and our alumni to raise $25,000 to build two wells in Eswatini, Africa, providing safe drinking water for two communities and making it possible for women and children to spend time on education and business rather than water collection. Our fourth-graders partnered with first-graders through the Key Chain Company to develop business and finance skills, while building friendships across buildings and grade levels. Many of you may have heard me say, “Everything is better with a drumline." This is true. The members of our BHS marching band drumline became the beat of support for our athletes on the field and in the gym, kicking off our school year for our staff, supporting a student battling cancer, giving runners some energy at the start of the Snoball run and celebrating the opening of the beautiful new Bay Library.
Connectedness resulted in a second Blue Ribbon Award for Westerly School, acknowledging the collaboration between teachers, staff, parents and students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to innovative approaches to teaching and learning using technology and classroom resources, and focusing on the individual needs of students. Military-connected families are an important part of our One Rocket Nation. Each building now has a single point of contact for the military families. Having a community advisory committee was an important part of receiving Purple Star designation for Normandy, Westerly, BMS and BHS. The committee provided input on our Military-connected Family page on our website. and sparked ideas for celebrating the Month of the Military Child in April. Our Strategic Plan is built on connectedness. It will continue to be important over the next three years to provide opportunities for students to find school/life balance, apply what they learn to solve problems in the world around them, build networks of peers and mentors and set goals, celebrating their progress toward accomplishing them.
One Rocket Nation is at its best when it strengthens connections across staff, students, families and the community. These strong connections are necessary for the district to continue to provide learning environments that lead to academic excellence and creativity. Our students have within themselves the strength, the compassion, the curiosity and the voice they need to make a difference in their classrooms, our community and the world. It is our ongoing challenge to amplify their voices and give them the opportunities to “Learn. Launch. Lead."
Interim Supt. Char Shryock
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