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Ray-Pec Community,
Welcome back to the second half of the 23-24 school year! I am looking forward to a great 2024, and I trust you are as well!
Right before our winter break, I shared information with the Board of Education about the great things happening in the school district. While I truly believe our best days are still ahead of us, what we have accomplished in the last few years has been a great step forward for students. While it is very numerous to list all of the great things that have been accomplished, here are just a few:
- We opened the Ray-Pec LEAD Center, which stands for Learning, Experiences, And Discovery. The LEAD Center is an excellent place for students to explore career paths, gain employable skills and competencies, participate in new learning styles, or explore interests in a variety of technology opportunities.
- The Ninth Grade Center (NGC) opened on time in August, and has provided a great space for our students to learn and grow.
- Our Success Academy (for grades K-8) and Ray-Pec Academy (for grades 9-12) have shifted to become places where students are experiencing a greater depth of real world learning. The Academy has become a launching point for students, rather than a finish line.
- Ray-Pec High School students and staff are using a variety of new approaches to build a school culture of responsibility. This has increased the number of students passing their coursework while simultaneously decreasing the number of disciplinary infractions.
- We have expanded our enrollment opportunities for students at Shull Early Learning Center.
- We conducted summer camps for students in grades 3-8 at the LEAD Center.
- All of our elementary schools now have inclusive structures on the playgrounds.
- We have implemented project based instruction opportunities at the elementary school level, and inquiry based learning units in middle school.
- Student opportunities were added in areas such as carpentry, electrical studies, and drone certification.
- We have continued our opportunities in machining and CNC programming.
- Our World Fest celebration has grown and honors our many students for whom English is not their first language.
- We have added additional parent educators for our Parents as Teachers program.
- All schools in the district are benefitting from investments and building improvements made possible by the Proposition S bond issue. The program helps us continue to provide a safe and efficient learning environment for students.
And we still have much to look forward to. Among those opportunities are:
- Opening the new Performing Arts Center (PAC) this spring.
- Programs in HVAC, medical field studies, small business development, military careers, and construction equipment certification are being developed.
- Expanding real world learning opportunities to our middle schools and continuing the development of project based instruction in our elementary schools.
- New opportunities for our students with special needs are in the design phase.
- Several new activities for students, including e-sports, girls flag football, and boys volleyball.
The guiding document that makes all of this possible is our strategic plan, through the support of the work by our Board of Education.
Our teachers, faculty, and entire staff are working to create an environment whereby our students have opportunity, choice, and access to make their dreams come true. Take a look at the document that was shared with our Board of Education at its December meeting, and know that more great things are on the horizon.
We’ve come a long way in a short period of time, even during some difficult circumstances.
And much more is still in front of us!
Thank you for entrusting your children to the Ray-Pec School District.
Mike
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