FROM THE VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
to learn social skills, gain confidence, and demonstrate
their creativity.
The Board also approved the purchase of new
elementary instructional materials for reading and
mathematics. Teachers attended training sessions
throughout the summer and are excited to have these
textbooks for their students. I always say,
“Happy teachers make happy students, who make
happy parents.”
P
erhaps you heard the story of the mother shouting
to her son, “You are going to be late. Get out of
bed and get ready for school. Her son, with his face
buried in a pillow, sluggishly replied, “Nobody likes
me. I don’t want to go to school!” To which his mother
answered, “What did you expect? You’re the principal.
Now get up and go to school.”
As a former elementary and middle school principal,
I can say the start of every school year is both
exhilarating and exhausting. This holds true for parents,
school district employees and of course, students. The
adrenaline pumping through the school staff provides
the high energy necessary for the professional
meetings and interactions with students and parents.
This year, the Volusia County School Board extended
the elementary school day by thirty minutes to make
sure the state required twenty minutes of unstructured
daily recess would be a benefit to our students without
decreasing the total amount of daily instructional time.
Research clearly shows children need unstructured time
As a parent, I know there is not anything more
important than the safety of your children. I am very
proud of the increased security measures in place at all
of Volusia County’s public schools. Our schools have
professionally trained guardians or law enforcement
personnel on site all day, every day. Schools are
fenced to prevent unwelcomed access and designed
to create single points of access. Cameras and new
technology to provide visibility to everyone who needs
to know about a potential threat on campus are being
installed. The District is fully committed to providing a
safe, secure, and friendly environment for our students,
staff, and visitors.
When parents and teachers work together great things
happen for students. So let’s continue to work together
to support our teachers and make this the best year
ever for every child.
Sincerely,
CARL PERSIS
CHAIR, VOLUSIA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
VIS IT U S ONLI NE AT WWW.PARE NTM AGAZINE FLORIDA .COM
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