It is my hope that you have all been following along with the ongoing school district budget conversations and ultimately the movement to restructure schools to alleviate some of the fiscal crisis.  Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of reconfiguration what we know is that how our schools are structured is changing, and that change can be hard. Thank you to those of you who have testified in support of your students and in support of high school success.  Your advocacy matters.  As the transition planning starts up in the fourth quarter please reach out with your ideas, your concerns and your celebrations.  We will look different next year.  My belief is that with big change comes great opportunity for improvement and innovation for Juneau’s kids. 

One of the worries many have expressed involves course selection and building the master schedule.  Our rising 10th - 12th graders will have an opportunity in April to provide some supplemental course selections, as the menu of classes has expanded with the integration of the TMHS course catalog.  This opportunity will likely occur with a chance for TMHS families to also complete supplemental requests and to tour our school as they begin to get familiar with this campus.  Rest assured that we have plenty of time to gather this information so that it can be utilized with our build process.  Staffing, assignments of courses and developing individual student schedules happen late spring early summer, so we are still a-ok.  We know that there are a myriad of moving parts, and we want to work slowly and intentionally to maximize the systems we have to support these.  

As we head into the break I want to emphasize my appreciation for your kids and all of the great things they have been a part of.  Whether your kiddo was playing on a winter team or cheering from the sidelines they have been showcasing their school and a collective love of all things Crimson Bears.  Beyond sports we have been collaborating this month with our music concerts, our student councils and shared activities such as Drama Debate and Forensics. The capacity our young people demonstrate for growth and resilience is remarkable.  They are setting the standard high for our adults to meet as well.  And every day they are providing reminders that they are why we are here.  

Rest, recharge and get ready for the final quarter.  My past experience is that April and May happen in the blink of an eye.  This next week is the week to take some deep breaths and get ready for the mayhem of spring.