Goals of strategic plan will guide school district
We who work in the field of education are planners. We are constantly planning for the next event, the next game, the next performance, the next conference, the next grading period, the next school year. Many times we forget to stop and celebrate the fruits of our labor. As I look ahead to the 2017-2018 school year, I first want to reflect on the great successes from the 20162017 school year in the Vandalia-Butler City Schools.
The 2016-2017 school year was an outstanding one for our district. We graduated an incredible group of seniors. This class leaves behind a legacy of leadership, volunteerism and school spirit second to none. The graduating class of 2017 acquired $6.5 million worth of post-secondary scholarships. In addition to this, we had three students who received the AP Scholar Award, four who achieved the AP Scholar With Honor Award and four who received the AP Scholar With Distinction Award.
We had two buildings, Helke Elementary and Morton Middle School, recognized by the state with the PBIS Bronze Award for their efforts in building positive learning environments for our students. Our student-athletes just missing a second straight year of winning the All Sports Trophy in the distinguished GWOC North Division. At the district level, we completed an engaging strategic plan process that included participation from over 150 community members along with staff and administration.
As we look forward to 20172018, we are excited to begin the implementation of the strategic plan that the community steered and will be our guide over the next four years. The goals and strategic actions of this plan will guide us in our work to continue to provide an excellent education for our students. In the era of school accountability, schools are ranked and sorted based on state standardized test results. These results, though important, are but one piece of the puzzle.
The VBCSD 2020 Strategic Plan, Connecting Aviators-Our Children, Our Community, exemplifies the community’s values and expectations of its schools to prepare students for more than just state test results. Most importantly the plan prepares our students for the world in which they will live and work in developing the whole child through rigorous and relevant academics, arts, extracurricular, and leadership activities. Our district continues to make extraordinary strides in providing a worldclass education for our students.
We are also deeply committed to ensuring the education of our students is reflective of our local values and traditions, values that have made our community a great place to live, learn, work, and play.
This is an incredible time to be an Aviator. We look forward to soaring to new heights in the 2017-2018 school year.