Succeeding at the Speed of Sound!

This weekend as I was driving along US 12 enjoying the beautiful sunshine and noticed a jet zooming straight up into the sky.  It was quite impressive to see the jet trails streaming behind as it continued to climb into the sky.  It appeared as though the jet would blast right out of the atmosphere.  Success is much the same, with successful students progressing upward and onward towards their future. 

Columbia School District partners with parents and their children to produce top students with an excellent academic background, which results in impressive standardized test scores.  The students who are the most successful in school have several things in common.  One of the most important is that they go to school each and every day.  The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) comments that students who go to school every day achieve better and are more likely to successfully graduate.  Studies show that seventy-five percent of students who are classified as truant fail to graduate.  Students who are often absent fail to learn problem solving and higher order thinking skills.

The USDOE says that the main reason students achieve at a sub-par level is because of chronic absenteeism, which is defined as missing 18 or more days of school out of the 180 days we have in Columbia.  Eighteen days represents almost a month of school, and missing that many days may lead to poor academic performance and lack of success after high school.  Poor attendance may result in a failure to get accepted to college or trade school, which may lead to a deficiency when that student wants to begin a career.

Just like fuel is essential for the jet I saw, attendance is crucial for our children.  Good attendance in school fuels our children’s education, giving them the right push to break through to success.  Most of us understand that attendance in high school is important, but the pattern for a child begins in kindergarten.  By having children get up each day and go to school, even if they seem tired, or achy, a youngster will learn more, and benefit in a myriad of ways by attending school.

Give your child the best chance for a successful future, set perfect attendance in school as a goal!  If you have any questions regarding Columbia School District, please email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

Columbia School District Strategic Planning Process

Columbia School District is developing a strategic plan that will establish priorities and focus the district efforts from 2017 through 2022.  Earlier this school year, the Columbia School District Board of Education and administration worked together to develop an updated Vision and set of Beliefs.  The Vision is as follows: “Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow.”  The Vision statement underscores our commitment to students today, while emphasizing the importance of educating and graduating industrious, considerate and successful citizens.

The updated Beliefs are as follows: (1) Columbia School District believes in providing high-quality learning opportunities so that each student has tools to pursue their Dreams! (2) Columbia students will become life-long learners through experiences and relevant skills to become outstanding citizens. (3) Columbia School District will empower students to become problem-solvers and leaders within the Community. (4) Columbia School District will provide a diverse and nurturing environment to engage students and meet the needs of All learners.

A Strategic Planning process will provide the Columbia School District Board of Education with integrated, significant participation from community and staff, aligns Board priorities with school improvement processes, and presents a concise and vivid picture of the district's current standing.  In addition, it sets intensive strategic goals that identify target areas to improve student achievement, it uses data to set goals and make important decisions, and it helps identify areas to apportion increasingly limited resources.

If you are interested in participating in the planning process, please respond to the online survey found at:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BVKZJZZ .  If you have questions, please email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call me at 5175926641.