Shared with the Corvallis School Board during the June 21, 2018 meeting.
Staff Appreciation
Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending graduation ceremonies at CHS for our students in the life skills program, WINGS, Crescent Valley, Corvallis High School, College Hill, and the promotion ceremony for Linus Pauling. I joined with hundreds of staff, family and friends to applaud and celebrate those students who are leaving our schools with hopes and dreams for the future. I am always inspired by our students and staff. We have so much to be proud of and I think it is so important for us to slow down on occasion and reflect on the important work that happens throughout our schools and community on a daily basis.
Bond Activities
I am grateful for the passage of the bond measure and staff have hit the ground running to engage a project manager for all bond projects. Staff have developed a bond goals document that is in your packet for a first reading. You will be asked to provide input in anticipation of a second reading and board adoption of these goals at your August 16, 2018 meeting. In the coming months, you will receive regular updates on bond activities.
Art in the Board Room
I would like to thank all of our art educators for this year’s student art exhibit in the board room. This is the second year that we have been able to enjoy a rotation of artwork and it is always inspiring to see our student’s creativity and talent on display.
YouthTruth Survey
At our most recent School Board training with the Medford School District we learned about the YouthTruth Survey. I know you were very interested in this survey tool after learning about it and I wanted to let you know of our progress since being introduced to YouthTruth.
I have shared the survey with our secondary administrators and plan to implement the YouthTruth survey in our district next fall. In addition to the standard survey questions, we will be incorporating the Project Based Learning, Student Voice and Leadership, and Emotional and Mental Health modules.
The project based learning module aligns with the board goal of real world learning, the student voice and leadership module aligns with our equitable systems goal, and emotional and mental health connects directly to the board goal centered on health and wellness.
Professional Development
Although it is summer, our committed staff continues to learn and hone their skills for our students. I have two current examples of this professional development.
This week teachers received professional development on the new health curriculum and next week teachers and administrators from our secondary schools will attend AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) training. This training supports our AVID program, which has a primary focus on enhancing the college going culture of schools and providing students, primarily first generation college going students, with the skills they need to be successful in higher education.
Invitation to South Corvallis Urban Renewal District Open House
The City of Corvallis is exploring the creation of an urban renewal district in south Corvallis with the goals of increasing access to commercial services and housing opportunities, and improving pedestrian safety. Members of district leadership, as well as Board Chair Vincent Adams, Board Vice Chair Sami Al-AbdRabbuh, and Board member Judy Ball will meet soon with representatives from the City to learn more about the proposal.
School board members and the general public are invited to an open house hosted by the Urban Renewal Advisory Committee on July 9 from 5:30-7:00 pm at the Lincoln Elementary School gym. Information about the proposed projects will be provided and attendees will have an opportunity to offer input to the committee on the proposal and projects.
COSA Presentations
This week is the annual Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA) conference in Seaside. This morning I attended a session led by our elementary administrative team. The title of the session was A Collaborative Approach: Elementary Student Support Systems. The theme of their session was about working as a collaborative member of the elementary leadership team. Working as a single administrator in a school can feel isolating but our elementary principals work as a collaborative team and shared with other administrators the impact this has made on their effectiveness and success as building leaders.
In addition to this session, Corvallis School District leaders presented on the topics of Inclusive Practices: Whatever it Takes and Deepening and Broadening Our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. We have a strong administrative team and it shows when we share our learning with other leaders from across the state.
For all Superintendent Updates from this school year and last, please visit the Superintendent’s Updates page.