Superintendent's Message for March 2025

With February in the rearview mirror, we welcome March—a month filled with better weather and plenty of exciting events at Southwest Valley Schools!

We kick off the month with the Pride of Iowa Honor Band at Graceland College on March 3rd. On Wednesday, March 5th, the Southwest Valley Science and Engineering Fair will take place at the high school.  We invite you to come and see our talented young scientists and their projects from 4:30–6:00 PM in the Activity Center.

The music continues with the Parade of Bands on March 6th at 7 PM in the Activity Center, showcasing the incredible talent of our Southwest Valley bands. Then, on March 7th and 8th, don’t miss our high school students performing Disney’s Newsies at 7 PM in the auditorium. This exciting musical will be a fantastic way to wrap up a busy first week of March!

Spring Break is scheduled for March 10–14 and schools will be closed during this time.

On March 10th, the Corning and Villisca school boards will hold a joint session at 5:30 PM to review and select candidates for the Superintendent position. The Corning Board will meet in regular session afterward, while Villisca’s Board will meet on Thursday, March 13th, at 7 PM.

Superintendent candidate interviews will take place on Monday, March 17th, across both campuses, with a final decision expected following the last interview.

On March 20th, we will host our Spring School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC) meeting at 6 PM in Villisca. This committee, made up of parents from all four buildings, along with administration and school business officials, plays a key role in our district’s continuous improvement.

A Professional Development Day is scheduled for March 24th and we will switch that day to a virtual learning day for students. Teachers at the middle and high school levels will be available online at designated times to assist students, while elementary students will complete Day 3 of their virtual learning packets. Additionally, we are tentatively planning to use May 22nd as a makeup day, with an 11 AM dismissal, provided there are no further weather-related closures. Any additional weather-related closures will be added to the end of the school year.

On March 26th, we have a Junior High Solo and Ensemble Contest from 8 AM–1 PM at Southwest Valley Middle School. That same day, a Blood Donor Drive will be held at the Villisca Community Building from 11 AM–6 PM—a great opportunity to support our community!

To close out the month, we are excited to present the Middle School Musical on March 28th—a great way to celebrate the talent and hard work of our students!

As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities to support and celebrate our students this month. We encourage you to attend a few of these wonderful events and cheer on our Southwest Valley students!

Happy March!