One
of the greatest benefits of working in a school district is the
opportunity to interact with children on a regular basis. During the
past year, I really enjoyed visiting our schools in Menomonie, and, on
several occasions, having lunch with students. Most of the time,
students were very receptive to having me join them for lunch, and they
were very willing to share their thoughts about our schools.
The
feedback that I received from students was quite enlightening!
Elementary students at Oaklawn Elementary School thought our school
district could be improved by having an ATV race track and bounce house
on the playground. Some students at Menomonie Middle School thought that
the district should consider cancelling school on nice days in addition
to snow days. And, I heard plenty about the desire to have open campus
lunch and to take backpacks to classes at Menomonie High School.
I
was also happy to hear that nearly all students that I talked with
liked school and their teachers. Many elementary students commented on
how much they enjoy their homeroom teacher, along with the opportunities
our school district provides in the areas of art, music, and physical
education. Older students often shared positive comments about the
teachers who challenged them to be their best, put in extra time and
effort to reach students on an individual level, and served as coaches
or advisors. Several students also told me that they were thankful for
high discipline standards that made them feel safe in our schools.
Much
research has been conducted to determine how school districts can
provide children with the best educational experience possible. While my
“lunchroom conversations” might not qualify for a doctoral
dissertation, the themes seem pretty obvious. Most students want to be
engaged and challenged. They want a well-rounded educational experience,
and most students appreciate structured discipline that keeps our
schools operating in an effective, efficient, and secure manner.
I
am very thankful to all of the students who welcomed me to the
lunchroom this year, and I am very happy to report most of the students
that I talked with are quite pleased with what our school district has
to offer. As the landscape of public education continues to change, we
will continue to evaluate and extend programming and operations in our
school district, but it is likely that the general themes for school
success will remain.
Providing
a rigorous, well-rounded educational experience in a safe and healthy
environment will continue to be our focus in Menomonie. It is our
mission to prepare ALL students to become lifelong learners, caring
individuals, and responsible citizens.
Should
school stakeholders have any questions about our school district, I
invite you to visit the Administrative Service Center on Pine Avenue or
contact me at 715-232-1642. More information about our schools can be
found on the school district website (www.sdmaonline.com) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/sdmaonline).