Keeneyville District 20 making strides in technology
A group of dedicated parents, faculty, staff members and administrators worked collaboratively with the Keeneyville Elementary District 20 school board in February 2016 to develop a new strategic plan to guide our district through the 2018-2019 school year.
What came from their efforts was a new mission statement: "To ignite the power and potential of each student" and a document that set a clear path toward ensuring all District 20 students receive a quality 21st century public education.
As we wrap up the first year of the plan, we take a moment to celebrate all that has been accomplished in a short period and look forward to the continued work ahead as we build a strong foundation for the future success of our students.
We are proud of our continued commitment to advancing curriculum and instruction, increasing the use of technology, meeting the unique needs of all of our students, providing a safe and supportive school environment, maintaining strong facilities and finances, and fostering a strong culture of community and collaboration.
During the current school year, we made great strides toward the implementation of our 1:1 student technology program. Our faculty and staff have worked hard on using technology as a resource to support learning and we are very proud that our efforts are paying off.
We see greater engagement, deeper thinking and enhanced creativity from our students. These are skills that will help our students compete in a rapidly changing global economy.
We also are pleased to report that through the efforts of many in the district, we expect to fully implement our 1:1 program in August 2017 by providing all second- through eighth-grade students a Chromebook to use on a daily basis as a critical tool for learning. This is one full year earlier than originally planned.
As we examined learning for students beyond the traditional school day, our strategic plan also included an expansion of extracurricular opportunities for our elementary school students.
We have done just that, with a variety of new activities and clubs made available to students at Greenbrook and Waterbury elementary Schools. Ranging from running, dance and yoga activities to drama, musical performance and computer coding, our students' learning goes well beyond the end of the school day.
Indeed, Keeneyville's first districtwide drama program launches this spring with our production of "Wizard of Oz" at Lake Park High School on May 11-13.
Finally, a comprehensive master facility plan will be completed this spring to analyze our current facilities and recommendations will be made to the board to ensure that buildings possess the space and design necessary to support 21st century learning.
It is an exciting time of growth for Keeneyville District 20. Our strategic plan is designed to take us from good to great, and we are proud of the work we have accomplished.
We look forward to working together as a community of learners to keep that work going as we celebrate our successes and together face the challenges ahead.
• Michael Connolly is superintendent of Keeneyville Elementary District 20. His column appears monthly during the school year in Neighbor.