I Wish You Well!

As we approach the next few months, we are surrounded by many religious, non-religious, and cultural holidays, and I want to extend the warmest greetings and thoughts to each of you! Celebrating the holidays and the season has created the opportunity to further develop relationships and memories with family and friends that last far beyond today. 

Whether it is reading a book to a child, playing a board game, having a great conversation, volunteering together, or  taking time to enjoy a meal together, these activities add to the richness of the celebrations and experiences. Taking time to journal or make a list of things you are grateful for is also a great way to shift your mindset. We all have reasons to be appreciative of this season.   

Sometimes, the stress of planning for all the details can get in the way,  so I hope you will take some time to avoid the busyness, let go of the need for perfectionism, and simply enjoy the holidays and be present in the moment. Look around, find ways to engage, and reach out to others who may be trying to find some joy in the season. No one experiences the holidays in the same way, and they do not need to be a Hallmark moment to be worth celebrating! 

I wish you well this Holiday season!

Working Toward a Common Vision

Leadership requires the ability to collaborate and work together, even when there are challenges present. That is why creating opportunities for team building within the leadership team is critical. It not only helps us understand how each other thinks, processes information, and solves problems, but it helps us achieve our goals. It increases trust, opens lines of communication, and establishes an environment where people can openly exchange thoughts, receive feedback, and be more creative. In the end, team building results in a stronger shared vision of the school learning community and what needs to be done to benefit our students and staff. This emphasis on our school's vision through team building is what inspires and motivates us all. 

Our leadership team consistently meets to discuss progress toward goals, problem-solve solutions to concerns, and celebrate “wins.”  We also engage in different types of activities, such as completing small group challenges or even a fun, friendly competition.  

 

Andrew Carnegie stated “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”  The conversations and activities take time, but they create an environment where we can accept each other's feedback and strengthen our professional relationships. Ultimately, it leads to the type of team dynamics we desire and value and strengthens the district’s overall performance. It is time well invested. 

A New Era in Education: Shenandoah’s IGNITE Program Leads to Enrollment Increase

Shenandoah Community School District has experienced tremendous enrollment growth. Over the past three years, enrollment increased by 13.93%. This growth can be largely attributed to the expansion of the IGNITE Online and Personalized Learning School, which allows students to attend school virtually and maximize work-based learning opportunities. The online school started as a response to retaining students in a post-COVID environment and bolstering the District's alternative education. Today, it serves students in 33 districts in Iowa and has an enrollment of over 230 students.

There are many stories of students' success, such as Mandi, who enrolled in IGNITE to increase her flexibility. She graduated early, enrolled in Northwest Missouri State, and is now employed full-time in the District's early childhood program. Tyson was able to attend IGNITE but also earned his associate's degree from IWCC and received training in cyber security. He also completed an internship in the District's IT Department, allowing him to learn and apply his skills. There are also stories of students who had dropped out of school, returned, and completed their High School Diploma just before becoming ineligible due to their age. It has been rewarding to see the students demonstrate their capabilities, earn their diplomas, and meet the goals they set for themselves.  Lelynn, a student who returned to school, shared in her student spotlight that "traditional school was just not working for me."  The good news is that IGNITE is meeting her learning needs today.

It is fantastic to see the growth, but there are challenges associated. We ask ourselves daily how we can ensure that the work we are doing and the instruction we are providing is highly reliable, effective and robust. It has caused us to seek feedback from students, staff, and other stakeholders, knowing that if we do this, we will become stronger and serve our students better.  As a result, we are increasing our instructional staff and adding a new Online Enrollment and Student Support Specialist to ensure we engage our online students and meet their needs.

While IGNITE has made a sizable contribution, the District has also reduced the number of students who are open enrolled out of the District by 2.95% this year. This is a positive indicator of the work that is being done in several areas across the District. 

I recently read a brief article, Education is Having a Netflix Moment, by CheeTung Leong. The main point of the article was that "public education can no longer be educators of last resort, or risk going the way of Blockbuster."  Public education needs to carefully consider whether or not our current systems are effective and if they remain relevant. There are many alternatives to public education; we mustn't underestimate the present options. IGNITE is different, and it may not be the perfect answer to meet the needs of all students, but the data would suggest it is worth continuing to invest in the school.