From the Superintendent's Desk - September 7, 2012
The big news this week is the staff in our Early Learning Community welcoming over 2500 students to our Child Development and Head Start programs. We have fourteen programs across the district. The role these programs play in ensuring all students are ready to learn and excel before they enter kindergarten, is immense.
The staff in the Early Learning Community did a great job welcoming these new students and parents into the CCSD family.
The other big news for this week is our 7-day enrollment totals. If you recall, on the first day of school, we were up 838 students compared to last year. Our 7-day count – 46,083 – represents a 1523 student increase over last year. This is our highest 7-day enrollment in 14 years!
There are many factors that attribute to our growing enrollment numbers, but the number one factor on my list is quality. Families are choosing CCSD over other options. They are making the decision to send their child to one of our schools because we have fabulous principals, dynamic teachers, and a district that firmly believes that all children can succeed at high levels, regardless of race or income. Parents, thank you for choosing CCSD.
Speaking of dynamic teachers and fabulous principals, I spent some time this week at Pinckney Elementary School, led by Ms. Leanne Sheppard. While there, I spent time in the learning lab, with a terrific teacher named Ms. Batts. On Fridays, Ms. Batts’ class reads to a dog named Twister as part of the Woof to Read program. Students love Twister who has been “working” at Pinckney for six years. (By the way, Twister is a personal friend of my dog, Buffalo Bill Charleston. They play on the beach every weekend.)
Lastly, our partnership with Trident United Way is strong, and today is a perfect example of this. All across the district, hundreds of dedicated volunteers from local businesses spent the day painting classrooms and hallways, building shelves, planting outdoor gardens, and tutoring students as part of TUW’s Day of Caring. Thank you to all the volunteers who spent the day at one of our schools or programs. Your commitment to our students and teachers is truly inspirational.
We are grateful for Trident United Way and the positive change they help bring to this community. Because of this, we want to give back as well. Today was the kick-off of the 2012 CCSD TUW fundraising campaign which will run until September 28. Last year, we raised over $116,000 and our goal this year is $125,000. We aim for 100 percent participation across the district, as we know that investing in TUW means investing in our students. If you haven’t had a chance to watch this year’s campaign video, featuring Principal Turner from Memminger Elementary School, make sure to check it out here.
Have a truly wonderful weekend.
Thank you,
-Dr. Nancy J. McGinley
