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19 October 2011
As we near the end of our first nine weeks of school, I remain encouraged by the commitment of staff and community in providing a quality education for the children in Fluvanna.
Teachers have embraced the challenge of assuring growth of children. It is difficult and rewarding work! I am proud of their efforts, passion, and willingness to create stretch goals related to student achievement and for their dedication to “doing what’s best” for students.
Soon, we will begin building a budget proposal for our school system. In two years, the schools have suffered a loss of approximately $5 million. The economic challenges have made it difficult for local and state governmental funding sources to meet the fiscal needs of school divisions, as well as many other entities. We have worked hard to be creative and “do more with less” in order that our children are not feeling the pain of the loss of staff and/or materials. However, we remain hopeful as we look toward the future and ask for your input, questions, and support as we move toward planning for fiscal year 2013.
We continue to be impressed with the number of community members who have volunteered for us this year. Our PTOs remain strong and active. Fluvanna’s Parent Advisory and Outreach Council continues to be genuinely interested in the success of our schools and works hard to relay positive information about the initiatives in the system. The Wellness Committee is working to define strategies to promote healthy lifestyles; consequently, the food services department has begun introducing more fresh vegetables and fruit in the breakfast and lunch program – some from local vendors.
In the near future, our board will hold a work session to continue discussion on the results of the facilities study, transitioning to the new high school, and the implications for the use of each of our buildings. We hope that you will join us and give us your input.
Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s building level principal, or my office, if you have any questions or would like to discuss ideas that you believe would help us meet the needs of our children who attend our schools. Thank you for everything you do for the young people in Fluvanna! Together, we can build a school system that is the pride of our community.
