Lazy summer? Not so much!

It is hard to believe another school year has come and gone. Summer break provides a valuable opportunity for our students and staff to relax and recharge their batteries in preparation for another school year. But as we roll into the hazy, lazy days of summer, it is important to know that our work in educating the students of Watervliet continues. Upcoming summer days will be anything but lazy here at the Watervliet City School District.

As you can see if you ever travel by our Jr.-Sr. High School building, our comprehensive capital project is moving right along. By the end of the summer we will have a great deal of this project completed. Our students will enter the new wing at the Junior – Senior High School in September and will participate in Physical Education in our new gymnasium in January 2011. We project the new cafeteria will be ready for September of 2011. You can learn more about the project and see a slide show of our progress on our website.

What many community members don’t know is that there’s a beehive of activity that takes place every summer that’s not as visible. Every year we offer summer school for all students UPK through 12th grade as well as offering a transition program and summer enrichment activities for students of various ages and grades. Over 300 students participate in this program which is run entirely by our own administrators, teachers and staff.

The summer months are also filled with a great deal of professional development, academic planning and preparation for our next school year. Throughout July and August most of our teaching staff will be on campus at one time or another continuing to work on our curriculum alignment initiative and taking part in other professional development opportunities.

As an educator, I recognize the importance of rest and relaxation, but I am also committed to keeping our district and everyone in it focused on our mission of educating every student and every day. Around here, that includes summer days too.