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As we look to the 2011-2012 school year, many positives are occurring across the school and community. Currently, the school district has recently updated playgrounds at Cambridge, Gladden, Hillcrest elementary buildings. We have finished new roofing and heating and air on parts of Belton High School and Cambridge Elementary. Many other projects have occurred and we hope everyone will see the continued focus of the Belton Schools to take care of existing facilities.
Other exciting news is the addition of a wireless network, which has been put in place in all school buildings across the district. We have increased our network capacity and wiring to handle this expansion. We hope to expand our use of technology throughout the district and in several classrooms. One initiative, which has come about due to our strategic plan is start 1:1 computing and look to expand this initiative as we determine the areas of best use.
This past year the district along with parents, patrons, city officials, and school staff sat down over several days and revisited the Belton School’s Strategic/Long Term Plan. The journey began in September of 2010 and finished in May 2011 with Belton Board of Education Approval to move forward in accomplishing a new set of action steps set as priorities for the future development and enhancement in six main areas (Student Achievement, Culture, Environment, Facilities, and Technology). The Belton Strategic Plan can be viewed at the Belton Schools Website on the Board of Education page.
The Belton School District looks to improve its tools of communication and through this focus we have selected communication representatives from each of our district buildings to share the good news of what is occurring in and throughout the Belton School District. We always want to be transparent, but we also want to keep all constituents abreast of the latest news and information. To find this information please visit our website, sign-up for QuickNews, or become a part of our Twitter and/or Facebook pages. We have a renewed commitment to utilize these tools of communication. We will continue to send out text alerts and School Reach calls to parents. However, we realize there are several Belton Residents to keep up to date and informed who do not have students attending school.
As you will see while browsing through the website, there are many activities and events planned for the 2011-2012 school year. As the Belton School District and the community continue to pursue excellence, I invite all parents, patrons, community members, friends, and family to be involved in attending activities such as parent teacher conferences, fine art performances, extracurricular activities and/or athletic events. The school facilities are open and accessible; I know kids love to see people observe them perform. Please join us!
As stated before, we must plan for the future of education, keeping a delicate balance between the best of the new while not forgetting the excellence of the past.
As the Mission of the Belton School District states: The Mission of Belton School District #124, as a proud reflection of our community, is to inspire and empower all student to reach individual potential by providing learning experiences that challenge and engage within a safe, supportive environment designed to prepare students to thrive and excel.
In conclusion, thank you in advance for helping to make the 2011-2012 school year a success and thank you for the opportunity to serve!! |