A Message to our Students, Staff and Partners
On these first days of the 2021-22 school year, I am reminded of how important “school” is for our staff, students and community. While I am sure there were some wishing for another day or two of summer break, the joy that I saw on so many faces, both in-person and online, was genuine. Since March, 2020, the meaning of “school” has changed—perhaps even become a little more precious to the definitions and actions that format our todays and tomorrows.
That is why we’ve spent so much time examining and refining how we “do what we do” in Springfield Local Schools. In this month’s district newsletter, we introduced readers to our “Portrait of a Graduate.” I’ve shared that this effort represents work undertaken over the past two years by a dedicated cadre of district leaders, educators, parents, business partners, alumni and current students to align district initiatives. We don’t want to miss one opportunity to prepare and equip our students for what they can learn today. We also want every student to imagine and dream of what their lives can be during and after their 13-plus years in the district.
Perhaps that is what was conveyed on all those happy, smiling (albeit often masked) faces that arrived at school last week. Hope, dreams, and trust. There is a profound sense of trust felt by district leaders, faculty and staff that our partners understand and support the decisions we are making. That those decisions are arrived at only after careful deliberation and with input from many.
This is our message for the 2021-22 school year. Rather than a lot of new initiatives, we are focused instead on the competencies defined in our portrait of a “Springfield” graduate: adaptability, communication, critical thinking. integrity, leadership and perseverance. I have challenged our principals, teachers, staff and students to remain focused on this collective vision—to think of it as our “North Star.”
I’ve mentioned it many times; learning experiences must not only provide for the acquisition of rigorous academic content, but they also must be more intentional about fostering critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and other 21st century skills our young people need to thrive in this complex, rapidly changing world. Let’s keep looking at “how we do what we do.” Let’s get creative.
Let’s take care of each other, and let’s always respect that there are things we can and can’t control.
Now, let’s get going.
