A Bit of Thanksgiving

This the day before Thanksgiving, and yes, I must say I am quite grateful for many blessings in life. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am looking forward to spending time with my family tomorrow. It will be a wonderful time even though there will be a lot of dishes to clean up at the end of the day. A rather good problem, right? I am also grateful for the Shenandoah CSD students and their families, and all of the staff I am fortunate to work with each day. They make Shenandoah CSD a great place to be.

Last week Tammie Stettler and Anita Baker both received special recognition by SEA and SSA+. Tammy Stettler was named SEA Teacher of the Year and Anita Baker named Support Staff Member of the year at the Shenandoah Iowa Education Foundation's American Education Week Celebration. I was so pleased to see who was selected this year. They are both very valuable members of the Shenandoah CSD family. Skateland was also recognized as a Friend of Education. I am thankful for all Tammy, Anita, and Skateland do to support Education.

I had a fantastic opportunity to listen to two excellent speakers last week at the IASB convention in Des Moines. Hamish Brewer, a middle school principal, shared his love and concern for the students in his school, his commitment to academic excellence, and his journey of resilience. He is a bit unconventional, but he is making a difference each day! I am very thankful for educators like Hamish Brewer. 

We have some new staff members who have recently joined our team. I am very appreciative and thankful they chose Shenandoah CSD as the place to be a part of each day! They, along with the rest of the staff, are making a difference for our students!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Every Vote Counts!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 5th is a big day. It is an election day, and there are important issues on the ballot. It is the first time school, and municipal elections are being held together. School Board members, City Council members, and the Shenandoah CSD bond issue are all included in this election; some are calling this election Super Vote I. It is a bit of change to have elections that are combined this way. Still, it has been received well by most and a more efficient way to hold elections.

There has been a lot of discussion about each of these items and how they affect Shenandoah CSD. Hopefully, you have been able to take note and learn about the Shenandoah CSD bond referendum. If you have not been able to study this issue, you can read more about this on our website at www.shencsd.com or watch the video posted on KMA. 

We also have two open seats on the Shenandoah CSD School Board. Several candidates are running for these positions.  Information about each of them is included on The Valley News and KMA websites.  You can also read about the City Council candidates as well. I wish all of the candidates the best tomorrow.

The polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM tomorrow. Each and every vote counts, so be sure to take a moment to cast your vote!