WCSD: April Greetings From Waukee

Waukee IA

10 April, 2022

3:39 AM

Description

Press release from Waukee Community School District: April 8, 2022 I am frequently reminded of how blessed I am to lead and serve in our district and what a great place our school system is for our students, staff members, and families. Recently we learned that our graduation rate is 98.3%, which is significant, and especially so for a 5A school district. That rate represents the acute work of high school staff members, for sure, and it is also the culmination of wonderful educational experiences throughout our system and the strong support of our families. The graduation rate is a team effort and that teamwork is definitely reflected in our outcomes! On a similar note, we have a very stable retention rate for our employees. We have an average 95% retention rate for the 2021-22 school year so far. When adding in the end-of-year staff resignations and retirements, we are at a 93% retention rate. To break that down further, certified staff (teaching positions) end of year retention rate so far is 98% and classified staff end of the year so far is 94%. We are very proud of our staff and the work they do each day to keep our students at the heart of what we do each day. We continue to work to implement our multi-year district facility plan. In reading that you may notice a subtle shift in that language away from a 10-year facility plan. With the consistent enrollment growth that happened through the pandemic and a 5-year projection of an increase in the rate of enrollment growth, the timeline for the existing plan may contract to some degree. It will be something to keep an eye on in the coming school years. 10-year facility plan We are in the process of organizing the work for the boundary process that we are planning to occur in November and December of this calendar year. Please keep in mind we will be going from two 6-7 schools to three (North Middle School). As a reminder, that means we will have a middle school that contains both Warriors and Wolves. The same will be true when we open the third 8-9 school (Trailridge School). While we are centering this process on the middle level, there could be modifications made to some schools in other grade spans as well. Did we mention we are growing?! As it relates to the boundary process specifically, the plan is to work with our demographers to create two to three best-case scenario maps to start things off. We will have several open houses in schools to collect feedback on the maps. Guided by the community feedback, we will make improvements to the contents and we will then have the proposed map to the Board in December, or at the first meeting in January of 2023. Have a great weekend! Dr. Brad Buck Superintendent 13 Students Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists We are excited to announce that 13 high school students (a district record) have been named finalists in the National Merit® Scholarship Program! This is a tremendous achievement and showcases academic excellence in all areas of education. To continue reading click here. To continue reading click here. Change Lives with Kindness – Maple Grove Help Iowa's Tornado Victims It started with a simple idea in a 5th-grade classroom at Maple Grove. Now it's an inspirational movement, gaining popularity every single day. For more information on how you can help click here. Click here for the most recent Construction Update Video. BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION UPDATES Waukee Schools Natatorium – New Construction Trailridge School– New Construction Sugar Creek Elementary– New Construction Projects nearing completion or complete from our plan: Board approved on March 10 to name Elementary #11, Waterford Elementary, tentatively scheduled to open in 2024 Waterford Elementary, Mental Health Resources Finding Help: Have you noticed a change in your child's mood or behavior? Has your child's behavior become too challenging to manage on your own? Click on the guide below for answers on where to get started. Bookmark the resources below so you can find them if the need arises. Local Resources for Children with Mental Health Needs Student Wellness Event – April 27 The district will host a Student Wellness Event on the last early out of Wednesday, April 27 from 1-3 p.m. at the Waukee Innovation and Learning Center (APEX Building). Secondary students (6-12) will have an opportunity to explore wellness activities in the areas of education, movement, art, and nutrition. Some of the activities include yoga, pet therapy, guided journaling, and a group workout. Students will have a chance to win a student activity pass for the next school year and a 3 month YMCA membership. As we continue to dive into our Strategic Plan, we have shared our Core Values, Vision, Mission, and Portrait of a Graduate. So far we have taken a deeper look at Priorities 1-3. I would encourage you to take some time and read through these priorities and familiarize yourself with the "how" behind our Strategic Plan. Priority 1: Learning, Growth, and Equity Priority 2: Connection, Communication & Advocacy Priority 3: Investing in our People One Mission. One Vision. One Waukee. Free Meals Ending – *Please read – more information to come. Federally funded meals will discontinue at the end of this school year. Be sure to apply for Free and Reduced meals if applicable and/or fund nutrition accounts appropriately for the start of the 2022-23 school year. If you have any questions please reach out to our Nutrition Department at 515-987-2719. This press release was produced by Waukee Community School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.