WCCS Update

For the Whitley County Consolidated Schools the 18th of August was a big day!   This was our first day of school for students! Actually the 17th of August was also an important day as staff gathered at each of our schools to meet and discuss a myriad of topics, going over the final details needed for a smooth start to a new school year.  I had the opportunity to visit with staff in teams at most of our schools on that morning and I found the staff excited and eager, anxious to begin a new year, ready to see their students once again and begin a new year of learning and growth. 

On the first official day of school I started my morning out at Coesse Elementary and watched as the buses rolled in and our youngest students strode in grouped by grade level.

Tiny Kindergarten children were first, stepping carefully down the huge steps of the school bus.  I spoke to a nervous but smiling mother as she shared with me that it was her daughter’s first day of Kindergarten and she had told her daughter she wanted her to ride the bus but that she would be there on the sidewalk for that first day.  Soon her little one came walking down those huge steps and mother and daughter embraced a new beginning.    Watching one little boy in a bright blue t-shirt, plaid shorts, and a huge back pack on his back, his name in large print in block letters printed neatly on the top, I greeted him “Hello,” and “Good Morning.” He smiled shyly in return and proceeded on his way, no hesitation on his part.  He was ready for school!  I thought as I looked at him that he was the epitome of promise, representing the future and all that he could be.  His potential lay in our hands and in the partnership of learning that we can create with his parents and family.  His potential is unlimited I thought as he too entered Coesse’s doors greeted by smiling staff, his new beginning also starting as a WCCS student.

Heading to the high school next I got there shortly after 8:00 AM and knowing that school had just begun I thought surely I would find several students and staff still in the hallways as the first day can be challenging. But no, the hallways were deserted and I walked instead with the high school principal from room to room and saw learning in action, already, at 8:15! One group of seniors was working on a special rendition of “What I did over the summer” and I was able to join in.  Another group of students were already on their fourth math problem and another group was learning about where all of the equipment is stored in the Voc Ag Shop and how safety is ensured.  A group of seniors were discussing their internship opportunities and sharing when asked how they would be working at the local hospital and other businesses for a tri-mester experience, seeing the relevance of their education in the workplace as they considered future careers.

Today I traveled to Northern Heights Elementary and once again the Kindergarten students departed the buses first.  I asked a little girl in pink if she needed assistance but she said no.  Then suddenly she turned around and came bouncing back and announced to me “Well, I do know how to get to my class, but I don’t know how to read yet.”  I had to chuckle at that one but she was truly responding to my question as she heard it, “Did she need assistance?”  Kids!  They are precious. They do represent the future.  They do hold great promise.  And, it is an honor to help them grow.  The 2009-2010 school year lies before us as a year of possibilities and opportunities.  What we do with this year is within our grasp.  Working together as a team, at the school level, corporation level, and with parents and the community is vital.   We must continue to do all that we can so that the 21st century learner, that little boy who steadfastly entered the Kindergarten doors for the first time or the high school students who are embarking upon career endeavors are given every chance possible for success.