IN Norwin Fall 2019 | Page 34

SUPERINTENDENT’S WELCOME 2019-2020 School Year “I find the important thing in life is not where we are, but in what direction we are moving.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes Dear Norwin Community Members, It was an honor and a privilege for me to be named Superintendent of Schools for the Norwin School District starting on July 1, 2019. Over the past several months, I have had the pleasure of meeting with many community members and school district stakeholders in order to get to know the community. I have been sincerely humbled by the amount of community support that I have received. I love this community’s unwavering dedication to our schools and the consistent pride in what we, as a district, accomplish on a daily basis. It gives me tremendous pride to serve as an educational leader in the Norwin School District. I am committed to providing a rigorous and challenging academic program to prepare our students to become responsible and contributing members of society. Our school district will strive to continue the tradition of excellence that is the hallmark of great educational institutions. We accept our responsibility to ensure our students are prepared for success in a world with unprecedented, new and evolving opportunities. At Norwin, we provide our students with skills to develop into well-informed citizens who are committed to changing the world. As Norwin’s superintendent, I have identified four areas in which I intend to focus my time and energy. First and foremost, I am committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our students and staff. Second, I will provide the leadership and support necessary to take our school district to the next level and provide our students with a world-class education in order to be college and career ready. Third, by working collaboratively with our many 32 NORWIN educational stakeholders, I will foster an environment that supports growth ~ growth of students in academics, athletics, and the arts and growth of Norwin employees in customer service to meet the needs of our stakeholders. Lastly, I am committed to providing fiscal integrity to our school district by making financial recommendations and decisions based on what is morally right for our students and fiscally responsible for our community members. In order to take Norwin to the next level of greatness, the District will need to embrace the concept of change for the betterment of our schools and our community. Change for the sake of change is never desirable, in my mind. However, we must be willing to build upon how things were done in the past in order to think and plan responsibly for our future. There are those in the world who are fearful about striving for greatness ~ fear of failure hinders their effort to be the absolute best at what they do. Shakespeare wrote, “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Most of us were not born great, nor has greatness been automatically bestowed upon us. I believe it is our responsibility to boldly seek to achieve greatness in all that we do for the children of the Norwin School District, as they deserve no less. Sincerely yours, Jeff Taylor, Ed.D Superintendent