Superintendent's Corner
Welcome Back to WSSD for the 2023-2024 School Year!
Dear WSSD Community,
What often is a bag of emotions, families are excited for summer to conclude but also filled with anxiousness as their students are about to walk into a new year with new experiences.
In my last letter, I spoke about the race that we are all in together, and the need to find rest and restoration after every race. I hope that you spent quality time with friends and family during the summer and that you had the opportunity to be rejuvenated and re-energized for this school year. This growing anticipation for the new school year hits me every time I walk the hallways and the grounds of our school district.
I want to thank our dedicated staff for providing committed effort for the getting our buildings ready, the hustle and bustle of administrators, administrative assistants, secretaries, operations and grounds crew and custodial and support staff that all culminated in the opening of our 2023-2024 school year. Many of these individuals helped with our summer programs and activities. It would not have been possible without their support and positive spirit to serve over 200 students.
Soon our hallways and learning spaces will be filled with the energy, laughter, and enthusiasm of our students. Returning from summer break is always filled with feelings of excitement and nervous anticipation. Whether you are experiencing it for the first time as a family, or you are returning, these memories will last a lifetime. As the new year begins, it is an opportunity to reconnect with our colleagues and peers, as well as form new relationships, start new lessons, and set new tones for the year.
Let me share with you a few highlights from the summer, as well as reminders of the upcoming meetings and events.
Transitions & Welcomes
This year brings new beginnings and big transitions for students. The rising 6th graders and rising 9th graders are starting a new beginning at new schools. We also cannot forget the transition of over 220 new kindergarten students into our elementary schools. We look forward to welcoming our students and creating a positive space to help us foster a stronger community and a place where everyone feels valued, included, and has a sense of belonging. I want to thank you in advance for the continued support of your child(ren), the district, and our collective community. Together, let us continue to make wonderful memories with our students.
Last night, SHHS welcomed rising freshman and newly enrolled students for a celebratory barbeque meal. This event included a welcome speech from Principal, Dr. Greg Hilden, some ice breaker games, a scavenger hunt that allowed students to become familiar with the high school, and the distribution of Chromebooks. The Panther Mascot also made an appearance to greet our new students. It was a great evening to help ease the transition before the first day of school on Monday.
This week our 6th graders were welcomed into SHMS to get a tour and a presentation on important information for the first day of school! There is so much excitement about gaining a new locker and new opportunities.
SRS, NPE, and WES also joined the fun of welcoming students with open house events to peak inside classrooms, meet a few staff members, and have the chance to explore a school bus!
Extended School Year & Summer Programs
Over the summer we continued to welcome students in the hallway for our Extended School Year (ESY) program. I want to thank our dedicated staff for providing committed effort for this student experience. It would not have been possible without your support and positive spirit to serve over 200 students. We also welcomed students for the WSSD Summer Music Program. This was a 4 week long program for students entering 3rd grade through 12th grade. WSSD Girls’ Camp brought a lot of learning, art, exercise, cooking, and more as well. As summer comes to an end, we welcome our marching band and sports teams back to our fields and spaces to prepare alongside our teachers and staff for the beginning of the school year.
Welcome New Teachers & Staff!
This past week, we have welcomed our new hires who participated in our New Teacher Academy. Spending time with our new WSSD family members reminds me of new beginnings, new encounters, the excitement of a fresh new chapter and the timeless truth that resides in the statement, “The shortest distance between two people is a story”. The power of trading our stories with one another and knowing that we will journey through this year together holds the promise of all that we will achieve together.
Add on with new employees in other departments - go to convocation slide
King Field Turf Replacement
WSSD is thrilled for the enhancement of King Field and want to thank the community for their ongoing support to update our facilities. This is the first of many projects and renovations that will help to support the infrastructure and improve the quality of our school district in years to come. This calendar year, I look forward to the continued conversation in our long term planning to address the much needed renovations and additions at our elementary schools and the high school.
George L. King Field - Field Day Cancelled
Due to the rain and potential thunderstorms happening tomorrow August 25th, during our planned activities for the field day, we are changing the date to October 13th. This day coincides with SHHS Homecoming football game! This event will be happening at 3pm starting with our National Anthem and ribbon cutting. The football game will take place at 7pm.
We apologize for the inconvenience and change of plans but we look forward to celebrating with the WSSD community on October 13th.
*Rain date will be October 20th*
Strategic Plan
We have been on a journey with taking our words and putting them into action with our Strategic Planning process. We have come so far to memorialize what we have always known which is the deep commitment and appreciation our staff and community have for our children. The ability to move forward in one direction - one Haven. Our Strategic Plan will not be like other plans that reside as words and sit on a shelf. Working together we are developing and designing the SMARTIE (Smart, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Time-Bound, Inclusive, Equitable) objectives for each of the five pathways that have emerged as priority areas.
To learn more about the pathways and updates on our strategic plan visit our website here!
School Board & Committee Meetings
The first Regular School Board Meeting took place at 7PM in the SHMS Library on August 22nd.
Meetings are live-streamed and archived on WSSD YouTube Page. For more information and a link to the meeting schedules, please click here.
Connect With WSSD
Email: helpdesk@wssd.org
Website: wssd.org
Location: 200 S Providence Rd, Wallingford, PA 19086, USA
Phone: 610-892-3470
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WallingfordSwarthmoreSchools/
Twitter: @WSSchools