Superintendent's Message for April 2022

It seems like the school year has gone by quickly with just eight weeks remaining until school is out for summer break.  As we begin the home stretch, there will be many events like prom, concerts, field trips, spring sports, and graduation.  Our last day of school will be on May 20 and we will have a noon dismissal on that day. 

At the beginning of this month, we will administer the ISASP test to students in grades 3-11.  These tests have had many names over the course of the past four decades, but you most likely remember them as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.  I remember taking them every year in school, filling in the ovals, and trying to do my best on them.  I know one of our incentives was an extra recess and that was enough for me!  Now, we administer these tests online and they continue to serve the same purpose as they did back when I took the test.  Our district will analyze the scores to help us determine if our core instruction is meeting the needs of our students and what skills each child may need extra help with as we begin the next year.  The information flows from one grade to the next so we can make data-driven decisions.  I stress to our administrators, staff, and parents that while it is important that we take these tests seriously, it is still only a snapshot of what our students can do as a person.  I want to emphasize that we need to keep educating the whole child and find their path that is going to make them a success in society. 

Our goal continues to be searching for ways to engage students in the skills and work they are interested in and want to pursue as a career.  Not all of our students will continue on to four-year colleges and that is perfectly fine.  Some may attend two-year colleges and pursue degrees in welding, nursing, technology, etc.  Others may join the workforce following high school and find a career they enjoy.  All of these options are great opportunities for our students.  I want to continue to provide more opportunities in the future.

Mr. Donahoo and I have discussed expanding our school-to-work programs to include paid apprenticeships.  I have had discussions with neighboring superintendents about using one of our campus buildings to house a career academy that could include welding, electrician, nursing, HVAC, or plumbing classes and other trades.  An academy where students from not only Southwest Valley but also neighboring districts could come and learn a trade.  They would graduate with a degree allowing them to step right into the workforce. 

The climate around public schools is that we are failing our kids.  We are teaching them topics that they are not interested in and therefore do not put in the effort.  I want to think outside that box, move our plans forward, and dare to be different. 

Have a great month of April and make sure to come out and support our Timberwolf students in the variety of activities taking place in the closing weeks.