Parent Teacher Magazine Rowan-Salisbury Schools Jan/Feb 2018 | Page 4

Message from Superintendent Dr . Lynn Moody
As I reflect on the beginning of a new year -2018 - we have so much happening right here in our Rowan-Salisbury Schools .
At Rowan-Salisbury Schools , we are very excited about our community and all that we have to offer our citizens to make this a wonderful place to work , raise a family , play and of course educate children .
Our goal is to give every child a personalized and extraordinary learning experience . Instruction in our classrooms guide students to be successful by learning to become critical thinkers and problem solvers . We are recognized across the country for our innovative approaches to teaching and learning . We are ranked in the ' Top 10 ' nationally for pioneering uses of technology , and we have received state and national recognitions for innovation and excellence in educational programs .
We build on a strong foundation focused on literacy leading our students into discovering and achieving their personal life goals . Our students are guided through a CCRP learning model where instruction is Connected , Collaborative , Relevant , and Personal .
Extra-Curricular Activities
It is critical to provide an extraordinary curriculum for students along with opportunities to excel in the fine arts of music , band and chorus . In addition , we are also very proud to offer our children a variety of athletic and skilled programs . Through the years , many of these programs have led to honors , awards , and championships at the local , regional and state levels in the areas of tennis , golf , track , basketball , swimming , masonry and Skills USA .
Community Area Schools
Inspiring , Innovative and Engaging – this describes the new and unique Community Area Schools concept that is being implemented across our district . Within Rowan-Salisbury , we have six community areas : North , South , East , West , Salisbury , and Southeast . Through each area , we are personalizing the learning experience for children and families by following each child as they grow and move from elementary school into middle school and then on to high school . We all fall under the larger umbrella of Rowan- Salisbury , but with the smaller Community Area Schools , educating children becomes an even more family-centered environment while continuing to give children the best education possible .
Rowan-Salisbury has caring principals , teachers and staff that work hard and are committed to providing the best for all students . We are fortunate to enjoy enriching relationships with our parents , business community and elected leaders , as we work together to achieve extraordinary learning environments for our students .
High School Academies
Rowan-Salisbury provides extraordinary education every day for more than 19,000 students in 35 schools . We set our high schoolers up for success by offering high school choice academies in the areas of :
• Agriculture & Farm-to-Table
• Business , Marketing and Finance
• Communications
• Health Sciences
• Fine and Performing Arts
• JROTC
• STEM & Advanced Manufacturing , and an
• Early College – in partnership with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Over the past four years , our annual amount of scholarships awarded has increased from approximately $ 9.5 million to $ 26 million .
Personal Student Devices
We are excited to be leaders in innovative learning , and we believe it is our responsibility to inspire an engaging and personalized educational experience for each student . In doing so , we provide all students in grades K-12 with a personal iPad or laptop device . Rowan-Salisbury moved to a one-to-one digital conversion in 2014 - where every student has their very own personal device ! Students in grades 3-12 take their devices home , while the devices for students in grades K-2 remain at the child ’ s school . These teaching and learning tools are changing the culture of our community as well as our schools . Students are engaged with their technology devices at home and at school .
We realize that the needs of the future are different from the needs of the past , and this requires us to be leaders in transforming how we teach . It also allows students to access instruction with the flexibility to learn anytime and anywhere . Our students must be prepared for the work environment of the future and with their mobile technology devices , students can now explore , research , and create solutions to real-world challenges with the most current information at their fingertips .
2 • January / February 2018 • Parent Teacher Magazine