Superintendent's Corner

August 29, 2022

Dear Royal Families;

It brings me great pleasure to welcome students back to our schools this Thursday, September 1st. After the challenges of the pandemic, our goal this year is to bring back a strong sense of school community and restore relationships. Our Conference Day theme and school year is built around this idea, “Fostering a Culture of Care.” President Theodore Roosevelt said, “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Students learn best when they know someone cares about them.  Employees are eager to come to work when their leaders care about their lives. Caring for one another will allow us to move forward and emerge stronger than before. 

This year brings us another step closer to returning to “normalcy”. The New York State Department of Health has released updated health guidance, which was shared with you in a separate document through School Messenger on Friday.  The new document relaxes many of the previous requirements and shifts our focus to endemic planning.  I hope you are just as excited as I am to turn the page this September.  

All summer our clerical, facilities, technology and administrative staff have worked tirelessly to prepare our buildings for opening day.  Somehow, even when it seems impossible, these staff members complete a myriad of tasks to ensure that everything is ready for the first day of school. Our instructional staff will be participating in professional development this week and have already been gearing up for students.  We are ready and excited to welcome students back into our buildings. 

I sincerely hope you enjoyed a well-deserved break and look forward to hearing all about your family's summer adventures!

Welcome Back Royals!

Jessica Schmettan
Superintendent