In November, the school board adopted the Wayland Union Schools Strategic Plan for 2021-2026. A summary of the plan is attached below for your review. Additionally, there is a color-coded document showing our progress, as of February 7, 2022, toward our first year objectives.

This year we have experienced an increased intensity and frequency of disruptive and harmful student behaviors (i.e., fights, threats, etc). Then on November 30, 2021, we learned of the school shooting only hours from our school district at Oxford High School. These incidents can cause incredible sadness and stress wondering if we are safe in our schools and in our community. Please know that all known threats have been (and will be) investigated. Disciplinary action has been assessed as appropriate to the facts in each situation. Wayland City Police have partnered with us in these investigations. The police shared that one investigation was surrounded by rumor, false reporting, and unsubstantiated evidence. This school year alone, we have held ten expulsion hearings to address those jeopardizing our safety. We take threats to our safety seriously.

If you are uncertain as to whether teachers and administrators are aware of a situation, please report it. When you hear something that concerns you, please report it. It's important not to assume staff, administrators, and/or our District Safety Officer are in the know.

If you have any questions or concerns about threats or school safety in general, please email me at hindsc@waylandunion.org or contact Dawn Stein to schedule an appointment with me.

On a related note: The Homecoming 2021 investigation is still in progress. I've been informed by Chief Garnsey that we may not have the results of the investigation any time soon. If you have any questions, please contact Chief Garnsey at the Wayland City Police Department.

Cinnamon Mellema, former WUS Board President, returns to the school board to fill a vacancy left by trustee, Jason Shane, who resigned last month due to an out of state move. She will serve through the end of this year. This partial term will be on the November 2022 ballot and the successful candidate will begin as soon as election results are certified.

Mellema was one of three candidates who were interviewed by the school board on February 7. Jeff Koon, community member and Norman Taylor, former WUS Superintendent, were also finalists. In all, nine candidates sent letters of interest to fill the partial term.

Mellema served on the school board from January 1, 2017 until December 31, 2020. In 2018 she was elected by the Board to serve as Board President. Cinnamon has served in education for over 25 years as both a teacher for Kentwood Public Schools and teacher consultant for the Kent Career Technical Center. Her dedication to education is not limited to teaching; she is a committed learner as well, having earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Michigan University, a Master of Arts from Grand Valley State University and a Master of Education degree from Western Michigan University.

We are so appreciative of the funds received, in lieu of taxes, as a result of Gun Lake Casino Revenue Sharing. On December 6, a community forum was held at the Wayland Union High School Grand Hall. After the forum, we published a survey for staff, secondary students, and parents. We received 127 staff responses, 529 secondary student responses, and 323 parent responses.

The results are published for your review. The document, "Top Three Survey Results" demonstrates the top three preferences for public improvements, instructional support, and community support from staff, students, and parents. There are two documents for each group. One shows the results in graph and percentage format. For those who would like a full review, I've attached a full presentation which shows results by each survey question. So, many opportunities to review the information in the way which works best for you.

For any questions about the data, please email Superintendent Hinds at hindsc@waylandunion.org.

Face masks are still required by the US Department of Transportation for all public transportation, which includes school buses. This mandate is in effect through mid-March or until further notice. If your student(s) have a medical reason stating they cannot wear a face mask, please complete the mask exemption form found on our district website. Otherwise, please remember to send your student(s) to the bus stop with their face mask.

Do you have questions or concerns about our school district? I am available to meet with community members on Tuesdays at 9:00am and Thursdays at 2:00pm. Please email Dawn Stein at steind@waylandunion.org to confirm availability and to let her know you're planning to attend. Otherwise, you're always welcome to schedule an appointment, outside of these hours, with Dr. Hinds, by contacting Ms. Stein via email.