June Board News

I have been blogging for about a year now. For me, this has been a good opportunity to communicate in a more open manner and reach different stakeholder groups.  It takes some time, but I enjoy writing and communicating my thoughts on different topics.  Frequently, I write about matters in front of the Board which is what I have written about today.

The Board took action on several items this month.  The district audit report was approved, the loan to the nutrition fund from the general fund was repaid, and final edits to staff handbooks were made.  Clarification was made to definitions in the support staff handbook related to routes and activity pay for transportation.

The elementary dismissal time was changed from 3:05 PM to 3:25 PM for the 2019-2020 school year. This change was made to increase instructional and intervention time at the elementary school, to create a common schedule for staff to follow and also increase the number of instructional hours on the district calendar which helps us avoid the need to make up time for unanticipated dismissals. It is also a change that is consistent with our board goals.

The board also had a discussion about requested change orders related to the window project that is being completed.  Good questions were asked and discussed. The change orders were approved. While there is a cost associated with making changes to the project, the project remains under budget. The Board also agreed to complete some testing on our current HVAC system at the High School to consider if retro-commissioning the units is an appropriate option. This was a recommendation by the Carl A. Nelson that will help us determine to what extent corrections can be made to the current system or if it is more appropriate to redesign the system.

I would also like to share with you profiles of some of our new staff members who are joining our team for the 2019-2020 school year.  We are thrilled to have them join us! They will be fantastic additions to our staff.

So Here It Is!

So here it is!  The weather makes it feel as if it couldn't possibly be true, but the 2018-2019 school year has officially come to an end.  It has most certainly been a good year for our students and staff. They have accomplished so much that makes us all proud. They have come to school each day, developed some great relationships, engaged in learning, participated in extracurricular events and many activities.   All in all, everyone is likely ready for some time to relax, refresh and regroup.

Even though we are on "break" there are many opportunities for your child and family to remain connected to the school and the community this summer.  Kids can participate in a wide range of summer camps this summer through the school district. There are athletic, academic, and general activity camps that provide a great avenue for kids to engage in safe activities in a supervised environment,  develop healthy habits, make friends, and generally just have a good time.  They can also eat breakfast and lunch for free at the JK-8 building. 

The District will also be serving meals at various locations June 3rd through August 2nd.  This is part of the Federal Nutrition Program that provides free meals for children ages 18 months to age 18. There is a small charge ($2.50 for Breakfast and $3.75 for Lunch) for adults age 19 and older.  It is good food, free for kids, and a good way to connect with others during the summer months.

Shenandoah High School
Breakfast  7:30 AM to 8:30 AM

Shenandoah JK-8 
Breakfast  8:00 AM to 8:30 AM
Lunch       11:00 AM to Noon

Sportsmans Park
Lunch       11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Shenandoah Public Library
Lunch       11:30 AM to 12:30 PM

We do have several new staff members joining us this summer.   I will be sharing information about each of them this summer.  They are great educators and we are very pleased to have them joining our staff!