Meet Your Teacher Night

I just wanted to say "Thank You" to all of the parents and kids that attended our first ever Meet Your Teacher Night. We had an excellent turn-out. More than 75% of our students showed up to meet their teachers and drop off school supplies. Also, "Thank You" to the staff of V.I.T. Elementary for making the students and parents feel welcome. It looked like all the kids enjoyed their visit and left happy.

FY 14 District Budget

What a great picture of "if only!" This picture grabbed my attention earlier this week when I was working on the school budget for 2013-2014. Wouldn't it be nice to have one of these trees out back? We could use it to offset all the cuts handed down by the state. Unfortunately, there is no such tree on our campus. This year's budget is again a study in surviving on less state support. With that being said, I am confident that over the next couple of years we can work to keep our fund balances healthy and our schools vibrant. It will take a combination of fiscal responsibility, out-of-the-box thinking, cooperation, community support, and forward thinking and planning. I think that this next picture does a great job expressing how we can best use our resources...

Together with the staff and communities of the VIT Educational Community, we can work together to provide a rich and effective curriculum in the best possible atmosphere for our students. For those interested, the tentative budget for FY 14 will be on display at the district office for the next 30 days. Have a great day.

Quick Update on Football Facilities

Check out what a little paint and a lot of hard work can do!

GREAT JOB COACH WILSON, COACHES, PLAYERS, AND PARENTS!!

Community Gathering in Vermont

This past Saturday, my family and I attended the Vermont Tractor Show and parade. We took the opportunity to meet with as many new faces we could find. I have always felt it was important to attend community celebrations. First, you get an opportunity to meet people and talk about the community and the school. Second, there is usually good food being cooked somewhere. Whether there is a food truck, fish fry, or big grill involved - you know you are in the right place. This event was no exception. The American Legion of Vermont cooked up a choice of ribeye or porkchop sandwiches. I had both, and they were delicious. On top of that, there was popcorn at the Vermont Library and homemade ice cream at the Tractor Show. Last, and most important, there are usually kids/students running around having fun, marching in the parade, or selling this-and-that. It is important to see our students in roles outside of the classroom and school setting. We had students marching with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. There were girls marching with the Girl Scouts. They were also selling cookies.......yes. There were HS and JH kids driving tractors in the parade. In the end, the weather was awesome, the people were friendly, the food was great, and the kids were outside doing something positive for their organizations and their community.

Football Team Taking Pride in Athletic Facilities

Last night, several parents, players, and coaches from the SFR football team spent a couple of hours painting and cleaning up the game day facility. The group painted the Home and Visitors bleachers, touched up a Rebel spirit sign, and prepared the grounds for football practices and games. We have another final group work night scheduled for tonight. Prior to the start of the season, the coaching staff will be adding some original graphics to the home bleachers. It is great to see players, coaches and families "owning" their facilities and working together to make improvements.

Repair Work at VIT Elementary

Construction Update: As you may have noticed, there has been extensive repair work undertaken at the elementary building this summer. Several thousand bricks have been removed and replaced due to water damage. New tile floors have been installed in the building as well. The new exterior will help to reduce the effects of moisture inside the building, as well as, protect the exterior from outside water damage in the future. The new tile flooring replaced carpet that had a well used and longer than anticipated lifetime. The tile floors will also reduce the effect of moisture in the building and, hopefully, lessen issues for those with allergies. Carpet is notorious for holding allergens regardless of how often they are vacuumed or cleaned. Also, new exterior doors will be installed soon in the elementary building. Also, at the high school, our maintenance director and custodians built a flower box over a problem area of old broken bricks and concrete. The flower box (shown below) is a great visual improvement. "Thanks" to Charlie, Carol, and Bob. There is still a little bit of work to complete and then some repairs to be made to the school yard and playground. We are hoping that all repairs will be completed before the start of school.

Any Evening on the Trail is a Good Evening.

This afternoon, I made a 90 minute drive to meet with old friends and ride our mountain bikes all over Farmdale Reservoir near Peoria. It felt like 100 degrees out today. I was soaked just loading the bikes into the old green truck. By the time I made it to Farmdale, I was hot and drenched. Once on site, we loaded up with water, not near enough, and hit the trail for loop one. 3 hours, Two more loops, and a tricky downhill course later - we were spent! Why do I mention this trip? Well, three things come to mind: Friends, activity, and balance. All three are necessary parts of a healthy lifestyle. My friends drove 90 minutes from Springfield to get together and do what we love. The importance of activity on a healthy mind and body, at any age, cannot be denied. The concept of balance is important in our professional and personal lives. It allows us to be the best we can be in both areas. This long ride allowed me to step away from the superintendency for a few hours. Ironically, it also clears the mind and allows for clarity on issues to just sort of "appear" while on the trail. So, tomorrow it is back to the office and meetings. All of which are great, but taking time for the friends, activity, and balance can only make me a better leader.