Superintendent's Message - November 3, 2023

Greetings North Marion Families and Community,

I hope you are enjoying the variety Mother Nature is providing us and all the changes that come with the seasons in our Willamette Valley.  At school it has been the season of pumpkin patch visits, senior celebrations at sports and activities, read-ins, pep assemblies, the FFA Harvest Fair, pumpkin painting, state soccer matches, district cross country, and Fall Fests!  It has been a lot of fun to watch your students engaged in activities that bring joy to learning and it’s great to see families out supporting our events as well!

Thank You for Supporting Regular Attendance!

I want to thank you for all you do to be sure that students are regularly attending school.  Because of your help, our attendance this year is averaging 15-20 % higher than last year at this time! We know that regular attendance is a critical part of overall school success and we are confident that your support in getting students to school is leading to gains in student performance and achievement.  Thanks again!

State Report Cards Show Improvement!

Last week we received our state school and district report cards and the results reflected improvement in nearly every category reported.  Highlights include 6% growth in 3^rd grade English Language Arts, 6% growth in 8^th grade Mathematics, 11% growth in 9^th Grade on Track to Graduate, and graduation rates at or just above the state average. Teachers and support staff are working incredibly hard and finding success in using our new English Language Arts and Mathematics curriculum, and Science review and revision are underway. We know we still have work to do and we are already seeing improvement in student skills, approaches to learning, and engagement in school as we continue to bounce back from the challenges of the pandemic. Thank you for all you do to support your students and your schools! You can find our district and school report cards by clicking here.

Thanks for Volunteering!

We want to thank you for all the support you share through your volunteer efforts.  Whether it is chaperoning field trips, dances, and activities, helping teachers in classrooms, supporting the front office or our libraries, participating in fundraising for special projects, or the many other efforts you make behind the seasons we appreciate your help.  It really makes a difference! We encourage you to visit the “Volunteering at NM” page on our website for suggestions about how you might get involved and for information about the responsibilities and expectations of our volunteers.  Thanks again!

Community Sessions on Health, Wellness, and Safety

Our middle school leaders have begun hosting a series of community information nights for families on the last Thursday of each month. We want to thank those families who have joined us!  Session One in September dealt with bullying issues facing children and the October session focused on Drug and Alcohol Awareness.  Sessions are held in the middle school library at 7 PM and families from all schools are welcome.

Gratitude

As we move into the month of November we often begin thinking about those things we are grateful for and as we think about what we are grateful for we find ourselves looking for those things that make us happy and proud and pleased.  I want to share my gratitude for the opportunity to work with our North Marion community to move a mission focused on learning and a vision of an engaged community supporting its children. We are thankful for the way our students inspire us each and every day.

With Spirit,

Bill