Warm greetings, Vikings!
It is my honor to serve as your Superintendent. The foundation of any vibrant community is its schools. Our young people will be responsible for carrying forward our legacy; therefore, we have a duty to leave a positive, lasting imprint on their impressionable lives.
In no particular order, please find a few of my beliefs, reflections, hopes, and questions:
- Our District’s mission, “Prepare – Learn – Lead,” may seem daunting, but anything worth doing usually is. Collectively, we can keep the light of our mission shining brightly with the dedication, conviction, resolve, and stamina I am quickly finding each of you possess.
- All children can achieve. All means all. Building deep, positive relationships with one another is fundamental to our continued success. Please make a promise: Do all that you can do to reach out and help each and every student. It is very hard work. At times, it appears to even be impossible; however, we are the ones who can move our students to even further heights.
- Our employees are our greatest asset. They are truly deserving of the love, dignity, and respect of their noble profession.
- All members of our school community must come to school in an environment conducive to learning. Civility is the standard by which we will assess our success. When there are lapses (and there will be – we are humans), we respond with compassion, a growth mindset, and interventions which are progressive in nature.
- If we are fully accomplishing our important communal work, we are learning from our students as much as we are imparting. Ask yourself, what has a student shared that has given you pause? More importantly, what did you do with that information?
- Our students depend on us to focus on academic, social, and learning opportunities. Increasingly, a population of students within all school communities are encountering social impediments to their academic and learning experience. We must resolve to reach out to one another in order to chart a course for our students’ success.
- Motivation comes from within the individual. Is your level of motivation to help students achieve higher than ever?
- We must be a “prophet” about our belief in the mission of public schools and by communicating this belief to one and all. In doing so, we will increase hope, trust, credibility, and confidence.
- How can we assist one another in reaching for the best solution rather than the most convenient or age old saying, “We’ve always done it this way”, or “We’ve never done it this way”? We must never rest on our successes, as this could create complacency, which would cheat our students…
- … That noted we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We have a duty to honor the traditions of the past while collaboratively blazing a trail to our future.
- Lastly, I believe we are in the “Business of Hope,” and the business forecast looks bright!
From time-to-time, I will provide audio podcasts for the purpose of informing the community of the many exciting activities taking place in our schools. Simply download the audio file and play using your favorite media service (Windows Media Player, Groove, iTunes, etc.) Please check back often for updates.
If I can ever be of service, please do not hesitate to contact me. In the meantime, I am proud to be a Viking, and I hope you are too!
Dr. Steve Salerno
Superintendent
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