Message from Superintendent Dr . Lynn Moody
Happy New Year and welcome 2017 !
Hard to believe that our school year is already almost half over . It goes by quickly , but what I love about the new year , is that this is a time of reflection . Over the holiday break , as I enjoyed my morning coffee during those first few quiet moments of the day , I smiled at what an honor it is to be superintendent for the 35 schools and offices that make up the Rowan-Salisbury Schools . Better yet , what an honor it is to work with our staff and students . We truly have the best . Just look at what our hard work has accomplished and what we have celebrated just since the beginning of this school year :
Testing Achievements
As the state released the accountability results for 2015-2016 , our students achieved great successes as we rose above the state ’ s guideline for school performance . Across the district we saw increased growth in reading and science as well as improvements in meeting or exceeding growth expectations and in school performance letter grades .
Community School Visits
We opened the doors to 13 of our schools , as the community was invited inside our schools to see the work that our students are accomplishing . Most Wednesdays throughout the school year , one school in the district hosts the event that is led by our student ambassadors . For a schedule , please refer to our website at : http :// www . rss . k12 . nc . us / school-visits
Hope to see you at the upcoming visits !
Literacy Celebrations
Literacy remains our focus as defined in our Strategic Plan .
Summer Reading Challenge : Over 60 of our students were honored and received amazing gifts at a school board meeting . This was made possible through the generosity of 25 community partnerships . Gifts included Kindle Fires , Camping Gear , Lego Sets , American Girl Dolls , Gift Cards , Movie Tickets , Drones , and so on !
Achieve3000 School Campions : Each month an elementary , a middle and a high school receives the rotating “ Achieve3000 Reading Champs ” banner for achieving the highest overall reading scores . Nothing like fun and competition to encourage student reading !
Parent Breakfast & Lunch Meetings : Designed for parents to learn more about Literacy and Digital Tools . Check our website for more information on Literacy support for students and parents : www . rss . k12 . nc . us .
Service Above Self Youth Awards
Over 2,000 of our students were honored for providing over 28,000 hours of volunteer service to others in our community . Our children give of themselves to help others voluntarily . Thank you Cheerwine , Rowan Rotary and Rowan County United Way for sponsoring this annual celebration of our students .
Learning Counsel ’ s digital online news and as key note speakers at national conferences and organizations ~ all to share our success story on digital transformation and student achievements .
Local , State and National Awards
• Individual students and staff have won honors for :
• Achieve3000 grand prize for summer contest
• NC Outstanding Secondary School Mathematics Teacher ( NC Council of Teachers of Mathematics )
• TED-ED Innovative Educators Cohort
• EENC ( Environmental Educator of NC ) Outstanding Practitioner
• National Board Certified School Nurses
• Phillip Kirk Scholarship for NCCAT ( NC Center for Advancement of Teaching )
• High School Honors Chorus and Band
• US Army All-American Marching Band
• All-American Marching Band Director ’ s Academy
• Eighteen RSS Assistant Principals participate in ‘ Grow Your Own Leaders ’ professional development program
• State Championship Band Competition
• E3 Extraordinary Awards for excellence in customer service
• Southwest Regional Teacher of the Year
Grant Recognitions
• Nine Schools Receive USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant
• RSS / Horizons Unlimited is one of 13 Districts to receive the BWF STEM Grant
District Awards
• Excellence in Educational Programs – Grand Prize Award ~ presented by the NC State School Boards Association
• 2016 Digital Curriculum Strategy Award ~ presented by the Learning Counsel
• Digital Content & Curriculum Achievement Award ~ presented by the Center for Digital Education
And this list goes on …
As I look ahead for the remainder of the school year , we are preparing to :
• Develop a new strategic plan to determine our district ’ s direction for the next three years
• Welcome Digital Promise officials to tour our schools in April ~ you will be hearing more about this honored visit later
• Prepare a budget for the next school year
• Plus , the continuation of our focus on student engagement , literacy and community school visits .
It takes lots of manpower , commitment , and energy to continue making progress that has proven successful for our students . It is exciting to see that our staff is ready , our community partners and elected leaders are ready , and most importantly you , as parents , are ready to continue to work with us in providing the best education for our children .
I believe it is a great time to be in public education and to be a student in the Rowan-Salisbury Schools . I wish for you the very best in this New Year !
RSS Featured Nationally
We have been featured on Education Talk Radio , a published article in The
2 • January / February 2017 • Parent Teacher Magazine