The Kearsarge Regional School District is currently working under the 2016-2022 Strategic Plan. I know that's a catchy beginning, but stick with me. One of the goals of the strategic plan, Goal 4 reads as follows:
Goal 4: The KRSD will involve families, businesses, and community organizations to increase student
engagement and personalized learning opportunities.
engagement and personalized learning opportunities.
Increasing communication and partnerships with the greater Kearsarge community provides opportunities
for students to engage in authentic learning outside of the classroom. A community that is more involved
and aware of the workings of schools is more supportive. Higher levels of student engagement lead to
higher levels of student achievement.
for students to engage in authentic learning outside of the classroom. A community that is more involved
and aware of the workings of schools is more supportive. Higher levels of student engagement lead to
higher levels of student achievement.
Objectives identified for Goal 4 are:
- Form a district level committee to increase and improve community partnerships
- Collaborate with the communication committee to increase community awareness of school
- Inventory community partnerships currently in place and identify areas to develop new community
- Develop new partnerships which increase student engagement and opportunity.
- Create sustainability in all projects through reflection and refinement of offerings to meet student
We are fortunate that we partner with many areas businesses and community members. Here at the middle school we have a wonderful STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) camp facilitated by KRSD teachers who invite all kinds of guests who work in STEM careers, Hypertherm, WMUR, etc. It is a wonderful enriching summer opportunity for our students and the guests who participate. We also had a terrific career day organized by our Family And Consumer Science - FACS teacher Robin Young. Robin Arranged for fourteen guests to come to school and meet with our eighth graders. Each student was able to see several different presentations, the kids benefitted a great deal. We will continue to maintain these traditions and we are open to more.
One aspect of this Community Engagement Goal is our new district level committee. We have met three times now. We are comprised in this earliest stage of all staff members, and we will be reaching out soon to learn more about how we can meet the needs of parents and families when it comes to helping students k-12 succeed in school. Several, at least half, of the members of the community engagement committee are also parents of students in the district. The committee has elementary, middle, and high school representation. Right now we are reading a book together, Beyond the Bake Sale. All research is clear that community engagement helps students learn and grow more than they will without it. We realize we need to make schools welcoming that's our number one goal. We will need feedback from as many parents as possible.
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, ideas, time, to contribute you may do so on the comment section of this blog, email me at pmercier@kearsarge.org, call 927-2100 and ask to speak with me, skywriting, smoke signals. You get the idea. I look forward to working with you.
Our guiding principle based on Beyond the Bake Sale is "to build a vital, trusting, productive community of people who enjoy learning from each other and can work through their differences in the interests of the children."
