A Message from Your Superintendent
Dear BPS101 Community,
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for welcoming me into your community and making me a part of the BPS101 family in such a short span of time. I write to you on my official 90th day since I began as your superintendent, and I have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful individuals. During this period, I have appreciated the moments when people have shared their deep affection for our district and their aspirations for its continued growth and improvement. I’ve also enjoyed speaking with classes, receiving notes from students, and just dropping in to see the amazing work that is happening between our students and teachers. It is so clear that families found Batavia to be a place where they wanted to send their children to school.
As I reflect on why BPS101 is such a great place, I realize we have a wonderful wealth of diversity. This past week marked the beginning of two significant events that are important to families and staff in our school district: Hispanic Heritage Month and Yom Kippur. Hispanic Heritage Month officially began this past Friday. It is essential to always appreciate the diversity and richness of our community. This month we spotlight the contributions and impact of individuals with Hispanic backgrounds. I see the impact of those who identify as Hispanic making a difference in our school community every day at BPS101. Additionally, Yom Kippur began last Sunday and concluded Monday night. As some of our staff, students, or families observe this holiday, it’s worth noting that fasting is traditionally a part of this observance, and I hope that those of you who observe this holiday had a meaningful holiday. Let us join together in celebrating those who observe this significant month.
Adding to the list of celebrations is the Citizen of the Year for Batavia selection process, which has begun. Here is a LINK to see the criteria and application process. This is led by one of our great community partners, the Batavia Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, BPS101 belongs to the Aurora Education Commission, which just recognized its 5th year anniversary last week. Aurora is the 2nd largest municipality our school district draws students from. The commission has amazing resources that I intend to tap into to serve our students. I am excited to see what more and who else we will be able to partner with and celebrate in the weeks and months ahead.
On a final note, all of the various conversations, meetings, and research I’ve experienced led me to some themes that are consistently emerging, although their order of priority varied depending on who I was speaking with:
Inclusion and Equity: Where is our district headed in terms of promoting inclusion and equity?
Teaching and Learning: What are the next steps in enhancing teaching and learning within our district?
Learning Spaces: How can we enhance and utilize our learning spaces across the eight buildings in our district?
My hope is that this year, we can gather valuable input and insights from our students, parents, staff, and other stakeholders. On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, the Board of Education approved our strategic plan process for this year. A hallmark of a great organization is its willingness to acknowledge areas where it can continue to improve and grow. Toward the end of this semester, there will be an official opportunity to gather more input and further understand the areas where we need to focus our attention. I presented our outline during the Board meeting, emphasizing that we should not wait, but rather, we should move forward, formulate a plan to address these opportunities and continue to enhance our commitment to serving and educating our students.
The plan includes sessions for students, parents, staff, and our external partners to participate. The Board will receive regular updates and an opportunity to share their voice as well. One of the opportunities I’m excited about is selecting and asking students to help lead our process as facilitators. They will be trained and work closely with me throughout our endeavor. Lastly, to ensure the process is conducted with fidelity and transparency, a steering committee will be overseeing the work and check in with me regularly to ensure the feedback and data is what it is and that things are going smoothly. The goal is to have this work completed by the end of this school year. Please feel free to view the Board meeting recording from last Tuesday for more details.
I wish you all a fantastic week and extend my sincere gratitude for the outstanding work you do each day.
Warm regards,
Tom
