As of today, we are 8 student attendance days into the 2020-2021 school year. Two weeks ago we began meeting as a staff in preparation for the 2020-2021 school year. Last week as our students were entering our buildings, it really hit me that it has been 5 months since we saw HBR staff and students in our buildings. It warmed my heart to see the smiling faces of our parents dropping off their children, staff greeting our students, and students themselves as they entered the buildings, saw their teachers, and saw their classmates.
If you are a parent, staff member, or follow our district on social media, you have certainly seen an increase in our communication since March 2020. These 5 months have been like no other in my educational career and responsibilities as a parent. I am sure that these 5 months have been like no other that you have experienced as well. I want to say thank you for your understanding, your patience, and your partnership as we strive to thrive during these challenging times. For those of you that reached out in support, thank you for taking the time to do so. If I am being honest, the superintendency is a lonely role. There were many times where an email of support was received just when I needed it most.
Speaking of communication, I want to highlight three things:
- We are working on our annual report and plan to get it to the printers in the middle of September. While it will reach your mailboxes later than usual this year, the 6th annual report will provide you with a recap of the 2019-2020 school year in the beginning of October. You can view prior year reports by visiting https://www.hbr429.org/o/hbr-429/page/district-annual-reports--2.
- We are working on our 2020-2021 Community Education and Engagement Plan. This should be ready for release in the next couple of weeks. If you are wondering what the focus of our communication will be for the first semester of 2020-2021 school year, you can find that information in this document. To view prior year plans, you can visit https://www.hbr429.org/o/hbr-429/page/community-education-and-engagement-plan.
- If you have not downloaded our Hinckley-Big Rock CUSD #429 app yet, I encourage you to do so. This will help you stay up to date with information sent directly to your phone. See the graphic below to guide you through the set up process.
Thanks to everyone for a good start to the 2020-2021 school year. While it certainly has not been perfect, we cannot let perfect be the enemy of good.
