It is the time of year that our elected officials provide their constituents a State of the Union or State of the State Address, or at least most years anyway! It is with this in mind that I thought I would try to provide a state of our school update. However, please know that this is not all inclusive of everything that is taking place at Vestaburg Community School.
For starters, it has been a busy year with many staff changes. These changes include the addition of Mrs. Jennifer Warner-Leja as the 7-12 Principal; Allyssa Wilson as the Business Manager; Samantha Cashen, Spanish, and Math Teacher; Kate Drury, Therese Hubble, and Tamara White, Second Grade Teachers; Angela Davis, Preschool Teacher; and Jordan Hessbrook, HS Social Studies and English Teacher. In addition, we have added several new paraprofessionals that are working hard with students to meet daily needs and provide academic interventions. In many areas, there are shortages of qualified staff to fill these roles! Thus, we are very excited to have each of these individuals join the Wolverine family. We are blessed with a very dedicated and caring staff and I am confident that our staff will continue to push our district forward!
This school year, 2018-2019, marks the third straight year that we have seen an increase in our student enrollment. During this time, we have seen our enrollment increase by approximately 40 students. We continue to see a positive net gain with school of choice numbers. Currently, we are running two full preschool classrooms and a three-year-old program. This has been a priority for our school board to provide our young children with a quality preschool program. In addition, VCS has been at the forefront in the virtual/alternative education programming. At this time, we are the authorizer for a charter school that serves approximately 1300 students through ten sites around the state of Michigan. In addition, this year the district launched a new alternative education program that is serving 150 students through a blended virtual experience. This has been a deliberate and powerful endeavor for the district and the Board of Education for the purpose of serving students in need and providing diversified programs and revenue for the district. Through all of these commitments and programs, Vestaburg Community School is serving and changing the lives of over 2000 students in the state of Michigan.
This past fall, the district put a bond issue before the community. While the issue failed by a close margin, the board did receive considerable positive feedback and has determined that it is important enough to try again with another election in May of 2019. The projects include roofing updates, purchase of school buses, replacement of the high school bleachers, and if funds permit some remodeling of older bathrooms and classrooms. Each of these issues are considered capital improvements and very costly. For example, one new school bus is $80,000 - $90,000 and a new roof is over $1,000,000. While we understand that for many, additional taxes are not a positive thing and may be difficult, we feel our children and our school are worth it! The decision to ask the community to approve an increase is not taken lightly and the needs are not luxuries, but rather necessities. If approved it would cost the voters approximately $5.00-$13.00 dollars a month. School funding can be complicated, and it does not provide for the capital cost and projects. As you look at public schools across the state, capital projects such as this are funded with bonds and millages. Furthermore, it is important to note that Vestaburg Schools receives one of the lowest amounts of tax dollars per student in our ISD and ranks in the bottom 5% in the state of Michigan. Lastly, we know that many people may not understand or agree with the decisions that have been made in the past. However, we cannot change the past, but we can ensure the current and future children of our community a great and safe school. Our kids are worth the investment and we are committed to providing them with the best education possible!
The district is also in the process of finalizing the last stage of our security updates. Over the next few months, we will be installing the latest Smart Boot technology that will make Vestaburg only the second school in Michigan with this technology. As you may recall, we have been able to implement all of our security updates including the Boot, emergency placards, ballistic shields, and cameras through generous community donations and through lighting upgrades that provide savings to pay for all of these updates. We remain committed to the security of our buildings and our students!
As previously mentioned, this is not an all-inclusive list, but rather an overview of some of the great things taking place. While we may be small on the outside, we are making a huge difference for thousands of students and we are leading the way in many areas addressed above. The Board and the staff are committed to continuing to put our students first, be fiscally responsible, and keep on the front edge of education. We ARE Vestaburg and our Students are Worth It!
Monday, January 21, 2019
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
We ARE Vestaburg!!: 2019: Here we Come!
We ARE Vestaburg!!: 2019: Here we Come!: This is an interesting time of the year. It is the start of a new calendar year, as well as, the start of the governmental year. It is a t...
2019: Here we Come!
This is an interesting time of the year. It is the start of a new calendar year, as well as, the start of the governmental year. It is a time of reflection and a time of looking forward. It is a time of promises and resolutions to do better. However, for schools, it is the natural break or midway point in the school year. While this can be challenging, it is also an opportunity to learn from the first half of the year and to make changes to improve the second half of the year. So, as we look forward to 2019 it is important that we explore a couple of truths that are evident in order to be successful, morale and hard-work.
No matter how you consume the news, a common theme is that we need to improve the morale of the people. As new officials take office it is a common talking point and promise. Whether in government, business, or life, in general, there is no doubting the impact positive morale can play. Research in abundant and clear on the power of positive thinking and positive morale. However, this leads to the question as to whose job is it create a positive moral. Can any organization really control how an individual feels about something? The answer to this is that while both parties play a role, it ultimately is up to an individual how they choose to see things, react to things, and whether they chose to be positive or negative. A successful organization will put into place processes, policies, and strategies that provide a positive structure that will allow its people to be successful and feels appreciated. A successful organization will even help individuals to focus on the positive aspects rather than dwell in the negative. However, it is up to each of us as individuals to find the positives and to control our own happiness. We cannot and should not wait for someone or something else to make us happy! As has been said many times, we cannot always control what happens but we can control how we react. In fact, it is often the only thing we can control. As a staff, students, parents, and citizens we need to help each other see the positives and not get caught up dwelling on the things that we do not like, but rather, look for positive ways to make meaningful change within ourselves.
Furthermore, positive morale and attitude alone are not enough. There is no success without hard work. However, while working hard is a requirement, just working hard is not enough! Working hard provides opportunities, it is not a guarantee that you will be successful. That is not life and it is not reality. However, you cannot be successful without hard work. This true for us as adults and educators and it is true for students. It is imperative that we as a school, parents, and a community continue to improve each and every day. Furthermore, it is critical that push ourselves and those around us beyond their comfort zones, progress is not made without a struggle. We need to think and problem-solve, not complain. As parents, we cannot protect and prevent our children from this process and feeling some discomfort. This is what leads to growth and improvement. However, as important as this process is, equally important is how we support them and teach them to overcome the struggle. This is as true for adults as it is for our children. This is where as a community and as partners we need to work together. We do not have to have all the answers, but rather let our children and fellow citizens know you care and are there to help them find the answer. Let them know you are there to help and empower them to think, learn, and overcome.
So as we move into the new year, let's make it the best year yet. Let's work together to ensure that we are growing as a community, a school, and as individuals. Through hard work and positive thinking we will make 2019 a year to remember and in doing so, help set up our future generations for success. We Are Vestaburg!
No matter how you consume the news, a common theme is that we need to improve the morale of the people. As new officials take office it is a common talking point and promise. Whether in government, business, or life, in general, there is no doubting the impact positive morale can play. Research in abundant and clear on the power of positive thinking and positive morale. However, this leads to the question as to whose job is it create a positive moral. Can any organization really control how an individual feels about something? The answer to this is that while both parties play a role, it ultimately is up to an individual how they choose to see things, react to things, and whether they chose to be positive or negative. A successful organization will put into place processes, policies, and strategies that provide a positive structure that will allow its people to be successful and feels appreciated. A successful organization will even help individuals to focus on the positive aspects rather than dwell in the negative. However, it is up to each of us as individuals to find the positives and to control our own happiness. We cannot and should not wait for someone or something else to make us happy! As has been said many times, we cannot always control what happens but we can control how we react. In fact, it is often the only thing we can control. As a staff, students, parents, and citizens we need to help each other see the positives and not get caught up dwelling on the things that we do not like, but rather, look for positive ways to make meaningful change within ourselves.
Furthermore, positive morale and attitude alone are not enough. There is no success without hard work. However, while working hard is a requirement, just working hard is not enough! Working hard provides opportunities, it is not a guarantee that you will be successful. That is not life and it is not reality. However, you cannot be successful without hard work. This true for us as adults and educators and it is true for students. It is imperative that we as a school, parents, and a community continue to improve each and every day. Furthermore, it is critical that push ourselves and those around us beyond their comfort zones, progress is not made without a struggle. We need to think and problem-solve, not complain. As parents, we cannot protect and prevent our children from this process and feeling some discomfort. This is what leads to growth and improvement. However, as important as this process is, equally important is how we support them and teach them to overcome the struggle. This is as true for adults as it is for our children. This is where as a community and as partners we need to work together. We do not have to have all the answers, but rather let our children and fellow citizens know you care and are there to help them find the answer. Let them know you are there to help and empower them to think, learn, and overcome.
So as we move into the new year, let's make it the best year yet. Let's work together to ensure that we are growing as a community, a school, and as individuals. Through hard work and positive thinking we will make 2019 a year to remember and in doing so, help set up our future generations for success. We Are Vestaburg!
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