It is that time again….school is starting in the VIT School District. The start of school is always a recharge for staff and students alike. This year is no different. The district has made several staff, design, and structural changes for the upcoming school year.
We will start this year with three new staff members. Quinton Hatfill will serve as the K-6 PE teacher. Mr. Hatfill will also coach junior high boys basketball. Lisa Heaton will serve as a part-time special education teacher in the elementary school. Ms. Heaton will work with students in grades 4-6. Kelsey Dean will be our new School Social Worker. Kelsey lives in Astoria. Kylee Gould will be our new head cook at the Jr./Sr. High. Mrs. Gould is the parent of two students at VIT and lives in Vermont. Additionally, Brandi Hood will be our new full-time Jr./Sr. High School Secretary.
The main hallway lockers in the Jr./Sr. High School were repainted over the summer. The yellow and gray lockers were all painted kelly green. After the lockers were completed, Ms. Korsmeyer, the custodial staff, and several staff members repainted the hallways. The new paint scheme is gray, green, and white with a touch of purple. A new 65 inch SmartTV was installed in the cafeteria and a new intercom system was installed throughout the Jr./Sr. High. Additionally, the electrical systems at the Jr./Sr. High School are currently being upgraded. The Jr./Sr. High gym roof is also being replaced. The new digital school sign will be installed by October. At the elementary school, the custodial staff added a touch of color to the gymnasium. The district is leasing a new bus for the next two years. Also, the bus-loop has been re-graveled and graded.
The Jr./Sr. High continues to increase its technological footprint. This summer the district purchased additional Chromebooks. The district invested in Go Guardian software to safeguard our students online. Also, the district will begin to deploy Chromeboxes as replacements for aging Windows 98 PCs. These machines will continue to put our students in touch with the latest technologies and the world outside our walls.
Finally, the district will try something new for our initial in-service day. VIT will join Astoria and Schuyler-Industry school districts, in Rushville, for a start of the year presentation by well-known educational speaker, Jim Burgett.
I want to thank the communities for their continued support of this small, yet progressive school district. Being rural and small does not mean we do not have a lot to offer our students. I look forward to seeing community members at our athletic contests throughout the year. As always, please feel free to stop in to discuss the current state of and/or the future progress of our great district.
Mike Curry
Superintendent of School
VIT CUSD#2
