New year, new initiatives in Roselle schools

Now that the first few weeks of school are behind us, I would like to share some of the new and exciting things happening this year in Roselle Elementary District 12:

• Roll out of a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) lab and curriculum at Roselle Middle School and a STEM pilot at Spring Hills Elementary. We are very happy to share that we were able to accomplish this by putting our technology dollars to smart use. Our Chromebook lease has allowed us to infuse more dollars into learning opportunities that directly impact students instead of into costly laptops and desktop units.

• Completion of our 1:1 Chromebook initiative in grades 1 to 8.

• Gradual phase-in of a positive and proactive approach to student behaviors and social-emotional learning. Our commitment to the social-emotional well-being of our students is evident in our revised Student Code of Conduct and Discipline Plan. Our focus will be on teaching, modeling and celebrating appropriate school behaviors.

• Completion of a new strategic plan that will take us through the 2018-19 school year. The school board will take action on adopting the plan in the meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, in the STEAM lab at Roselle Middle School, 100 E. Walnut St.

• Implementation of a cloud-based crisis response plan. Once complete, our crisis response plan will allow us to work closely with first responders in a way that is not possible with a traditional paper-copy plan.

• Introduction of The Twelve newsletter. The newsletter is a collaborative effort between the school board, administration, staff and our Parent Advisory Committee. The Twelve will allow us to communicate more effectively with our families and community. If you wish to receive The Twelve via email, go to the district website and complete the electronic form. You can find the form at sd12.k12.il.us/ElectronicNewsletter.aspx.

• Introduction of a data dashboard. Very soon, our community will be able to view data related to our strategic plan goals. This will be an important accountability tool that we are excited to introduce to our community.

• New activities and events from our Parent Teacher Organization, including a potential Learning Garden project.

It is very important for our community to realize that all of the exciting things happening in District 12 are the result of the commitment and hard work of the staff, the school board and our families. It is an honor and a privilege to serve such a wonderful organization and community.

• Melissa Kaczkowski is superintendent of Roselle Elementary District 12. Her column appears monthly in Neighbor during the school year.