Elections and Voting

Getting out and Voting at Local Elections: 

I must first apologize for not getting many posts put together over the last couple of weeks; not sure if I needed the break or I just got busy with other things. Either way, it has been a couple of weeks since I have visited the blog and I apologize for the delay. 

Important business tomorrow at the school: 

2015 School Board Election with three people seeking two seats. Incumbents Wade Young and Brad Oye along with Stan Jung are seeking positions on the Warner School Board. 

Local elections generally receive little or no media coverage, and most candidates do little, if any, campaigning. These elections are also held at various times of the year and sometimes it is not the most convenient due our busy and nonstop lives. These factors alone make for less information and notoriety about the candidates and topics and thus lower voter turnout which is unfortunate for those people running for open seats. 

I'm not writing this to point fingers or blame someone for results that haven't even been counted. I'm hoping to bring some extra attention to the election and increase our turnout. 

So please come out and vote tomorrow. Polls are open from 7:00am-7:00pm and are set up in the lunchroom at the school. I hope to see many of you there throughout the day. 

Thanks

Graduation

Graduation signals the completion of a major accomplishment in anyone's life; whether it's Preschool or Kindergarten Graduation, High School or College Graduation. It is a benchmark, a notch on the belt, a guidepost for that individual; over the last 12 days I have witnessed a couple of different graduation ceremonies and they all leave a mark on those present. As someone who works in education, graduation is obviously an important achievement to me, but it is a milestone for anyone and something that should be celebrated.

My two weeks of graduations started with an historic moment for me; I was fortunate enough to land a "job" at Lake Area Technical Institute's Spring Graduation ceremony. We may have had to wait an extra hour but being able to listen to President Obama speak was a once in a lifetime experience. He spoke of the importance of the students who were improving their lives by graduating; he mentioned specific students and what they had planned to make a difference after graduating. He had his own agenda for speaking at LATI or what he called a "Community College" and what he hopes to provide everyone with an opportunity to attend a post secondary school. An admirable and fantastic idea that will hopefully get some traction from the federal level. I also witnessed former students march across that stage and it made me reflect on how far they have grown and how things change for everyone. The moment held more meaning for me seeing them pursuing their goals and improving their chances for life-long success. I wish all of them the best of luck and thanks again to President Obama for speaking to those deserving graduates.

My second significant graduation (WHS Graduation) was also "historic" for me, as it was my first one as Superintendent. We all know Warner prepares kids well for what lays ahead of them. Whether it's college, Vo-tech, or career; the education and experiences the students have obtained here get them ready for life after Warner High School. We also know, each individual will face their own unique and trying challenges as they leap into their next stage in life. Learning from those challenges and making them worthwhile is significant part of growing-up; we need to encourage students to recognize those events for what they are worth and make sure they understand that even failures can be beneficial part of long-term success.

Graduations are milestones for everyone; family, friends, peers all benefit from individuals reaching these accomplishments. Celebrate them, applaud them, cheer them, make sure they know how much it means and how proud you are of them, no matter when it happens. We all have milestones and challenges; they make us who we are and how we respond to them reflects as much about who we are as anything else. We all graduate several times; make sure you take some time to understand the significance of each and every one. And appreciate the challenges we faced along the way and the people who helped us.

To all of you who have graduated over the last month--Congratulations, may you have many more.
To all of you who helped--Congratulations, without you it may not have been possible.

Home Stretch

As we head into the final weeks of the school year; it a good time to reflect on the past year and how things have progressed for me and the school.

Let's start with the school: we added two new classrooms on the elementary wing, with one being used as a computer lab and one being used by everyone for projects, plays, extra work space, etc. The increased access to space and equipment was a great help to staff and students alike. The ability to spread out or break into smaller groups was a plus all by itself; include the easier access to computers and everyone wins. The uses for this room in the future will only grow as staff takes advantage of the extra space. The added gymnasium space benefits the highschool just as much as the classrooms benefit the elementary students. Increased gym space will mean better schedules for practices for everyone, greater flexibility for PE and even recess, additional 'stage' type space and room for shop projects, and the list goes on. We will continue to look for ways to improve our facilities; enhancing the campus for community and students alike.

Personally: I couldn't be happier to have my kids enrolled in Warner and taking advantage of the staff we have in the building. Mrs. Evans is a wonderful teacher and has a great understanding for our young students; she grasps what it takes to prepare them for many years of learning. We look forward to them learning from all of the staff in Warner; as many of you already know, the staff here is top of the line with everyone focused on getting the most out of students.
I've learned a lot over the past 10 months and will continue to grow and develop as a school administrator. I have benefitted greatly from the patience and expertise of all the school employees; the support of the School Board and community has enhanced my time in the district and my wife and I look forward to moving to Warner soon to finally settle in to the community on a more full-time basis.

Spring Events (other than Track and Graduation)

There are several things at school that sometimes go unrecognized/unnoticed that should be celebrated with more jubilation and notoriety. With Graduation and the last day of school right around the corner; these events are sometimes superseded by other more noteworthy activities, aka Graduation and Summer Vacation. Include "spring fever", track meets, spring clean-up, spring field work for area farmers, confirmation and the list could go on and on. It is no wonder some of these events get lost in the shuffle.

With that being said, please take note of the following events and show your support by attending and/or congratulating students participating in the following:

April 21--Spring Awards night. As difficult as it is for some parents to come to grips with the child getting older and graduating and moving on to the next chapter in their life. Spring Awards offers us one more chance to recognize our students for everything they have accomplished. We also get to identify students who have received scholarships, regional and state awards, and applaud them on another successful year.

April 24--3rd and 4th Grade South Dakota Play. Mrs. Ochsner indicated to me, this is the 17th year for the play. The classes and staff have spent a tremendous amount of time researching, preparing and practices for this significant production. I'm looking forward to seeing it for the first time.

April 30--Elementary Spring Concert. Our Elementary students have been singing and practicing. They are eagerly anticipating their annual Spring performance

May 4--High School 3 Act Play. One of the unheralded programs here at school, but one that offers our students a different avenue to display a different set of skills. Everyone knows about our athletic program successes and our fantastic band; we also want people to recognize how diverse the talents of our students range.

May 7--Middle School and High School Spring Concerts; don't forget we have two concerts on the same day, MS in the afternoon, HS in the evening.

We look forward to seeing people come out and support our students in all of their spring activities. Thanks for everyone's support of all our activities throughout the school year; it is one of the great parts of being involved in our school.

Final Stretch

Parents and Community members, we are heading down the home stretch of the school year and most everyone has their eyes on graduation and the last days of school. We need to recognize all the work teachers and staff have been finishing over the last nine weeks of the school year. State Testing, plays (SD and 3 Act), track meets and music concerts have been keeping everyone busy and will continue to keep them busy. It takes a lot of time, scheduling, and patience to make all of these projects successful and efficient. The staff does a wonderful job working around all the challenges the Spring school year brings and they should be commended for their work.

Something that we have noticed while running end of the year reports is attendance numbers. One of the factors the state uses for measuring the effectiveness of schools is attendance. We need to carry an average of 94% attendance rate for everyone in school to meet the state minimum requirements. Other than that, students need to be in school to be successful; learning happens at all times during the school day and our staff does an excellent job of making these environments engaging and beneficial no matter what subject is being taught. Please make every attempt possible to keep your children in school as much as possible for the rest of the school year. Also something to remember for next year when scheduling your family vacations and regular doctor/dentist appointments. Look at the school calendar and try to take advantage of the school's long weekends, in-service days, and regular vacation days when planning your vacation.

Quick thanks to all the community members who volunteer and help at the school; whether you are helping in the library, music room, classroom or parking lot. Your willingness to help our school doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated. Thanks to everyone who helps make our students' learning and school experiences better.

4th Quarter Enthusiam

With the end of March comes the final stretch run for school (lame pun intended); we have managed to avoid most of the weather concerns we tend to get March. I'm not sure what happened to the "Lion" but it appears we will be going out like a "Lamb". I appreciate the pleasant weather pattern and  hope it continues for the remainder of the school year, but I also know April can be just as challenging. I also know most everyone would like to see some moisture before spring planting gets into full swing. We have lots of things going on during the last several weeks of school and all the activities will make the days go by faster than normal.

Testing: we are currently working through the state assessment requirement; 3rd--8th grades and Juniors are completing multiple tests to satisfy state mandates. The tests this year take a little more time since everything is on the computer and our elementary students have to share the computer labs. The process itself is working with minimal delays, which is a good thing, Mr. Gunn and Mrs. Goldade are diligent in making sure folks stay on schedule and equipment continues to work. The work they put in to complete this task is consuming and demanding; we appreciate everything they have done and continue to do to make this process as seamless as possible.

Fine Arts: students are currently preparing for 2 different performances. The 3rd and 4th Grade classes are preparing their SD Play, which will be performed April 24 at 1:30. Being a former History/Social Studies Teacher; I'm excited to see what put together to celebrate our great state. The High School is also preparing for the Spring Three Act Play. Ms. Herrboldt is directing the cast in a performance of "Murder's in the Heir" on May 4, with a 12:30 Matinee and an evening showing at 6:00. We also have 5th-8th grades participating in a Music Contest in Redfield on April 18th. I was enjoy seeing our students show off the great diversity of opportunities we have here in Warner.

Track: the greatest benefactor of our pleasant weather has been the track teams. We have a terrific turn-out for track and field; hopefully everyone gets a chance to get a full slate of meets in this year. Track is the only sport that helps all the other sports and every athlete benefits from being out from track (even if they don't place at any track meets; not everyone is fast, but everyone can get faster and track helps you do that).

I wish everyone the best in their upcoming performances, both on the stage and the track.

Amazing Teachers

Good Afternoon,
Those of you who have been part of the Warner School District for more than the nine months I have been around are already aware of this fact but for me it becomes more and more clear everyday. We have tremendous teaching staff that show up everyday with wonderful ideas to engage student learning and create lasting impacts on our students. I know when I took the job the staff had a great reputation based on academic performance and assessment. It didn't take long for me to witness all the little things they do to make learning a wonderful experience.

We have staff that put on weddings from Romeo and Juliet, staff who arrange to have books made from student projects, models in social studies, demonstrations from SD HP, and everything in between. The amount of time, thought and effort that our staff members contribute to this school is amazing. I've seen wreaths made from peppermint candy and chariots in the hallways and donuts shared with dads. We have a staff that embraces the meaning of teaching and learning and helps students focus on those same principles. Classrooms are where the magic of learning happens and teachers are the magicians.

The stress of state assessments are right around the corner; focus of staff will now move to getting the most out of the students' academic ability. The mood of building will become more serious, patience may be a bit shorter, recesses may even be shorter. Rest assured however, your children are in good hands as we tackle this annual practice. With the Smarter Balance testing (which was introduced last year), we will also be facing "new" or different results; the results will be difficult to compare to the high standards set during past years. The results will all be sorted out over the following years as everyone gets a better handle on what the new numbers relate to. Have some patience with us and the system if the numbers appear significantly or even marginally lower.

The staff here is amazing and they all do terrific work with the students. Of course, all of you knew that already; I'm the new guy on the block getting made fully aware.