Future Looking Bright

Mr. Rangel supervising elementary lunch

It's been a great year at South Bend Public Schools!  In my 14 years of working in public education, this has definitely been one of the best.  I am continually impressed with the quality of staff, teachers, and students we have in South Bend and look forward to some exciting things as we start school in a couple months.



Moving forward full steam ahead

This past January we were hit by some serious flooding in Koplitz Fieldhouse.  Contractors began working this Spring and are moving fast toward completion.  KFH will see a new floor system, all new doors, new bathroom and locker room partitions, and fresh paint.  The project should be complete in a couple weeks.  We are excited to play our first volleyball game on the new gym floor September 10th!

SB loves our cooks!

Another new development will be in our food services department.  South Bend will be providing breakfast and lunch to all students free of charge beginning this Fall.  We have been working since March on a federal program making this possible, and were just notified of the change.  We make good, nutritious meals at South Bend and we are happy to now provide these meals to all at no cost.

On the curriculum side of the District, we are working to provide even more opportunities for our students.  At the elementary level, we will be piloting new instructional materials in the areas of math and language arts, and hope to decide on new materials this next year.  We are moving to a 7 period day in the Jr. Sr. High, which will give our students more learning options.  We are making algebra 1 available to 8th grade students, adding junior high Spanish, adding another period of robotics to 9-12, starting horticulture in a newly built greenhouse, and expanding opportunities in library information-technology through our new Teacher-Librarian.  We are also looking for ways to further the arts as we strive to provide quality learning opportunities for all students.

 New Staff for 2015-16

With four retirements and some teachers moving to be closer to family, we have new staff coming on board this fall, and we are excited to welcome each of them to South Bend.

Ms. Webber, Ms. Druzianich, and Ms. Johanson (L-R)

In the elementary, we have three new teachers:  Jessica Webber, Karly Druzianich, and Annika Johanson, who will be teaching in kindergarten, third grade and first grade (respectively).

We also have new staff coming into the high school.  Lili Newman will be taking over for Mr. Bale, and Adrianne Lartz will be our new school counselor taking over for Amy Nelson.  Mrs. Nelson will be the new Director for Early Learning and will now work in the Early Learning Center.  Finally, we are fortunate to have hired Lori Dearmore as Teacher-Librarian who will be serving staff and students K-12.

Ms. Newman, Ms. Lartz, and Mrs. Dearmore (L-R)

Hiring good people is one of our most important jobs.  After all, we entrust our students to their care.  South Bend is fortunate to have hired these new great people.  Each of them will add tremendous value to our school, and will help continue our efforts in providing a first class education to our students.

Please watch for an upcoming Fall Preview which will highlight our new 2015-16 staff and programs at South Bend Public Schools.

"A Great Place for Kids"

Small, rural schools are often looked upon as schools who struggle to provide quality education to students.  What I have found in South Bend is the exact opposite.  Students who come to South Bend not only get first class opportunities in the classroom, they receive warm care and support from our great staff.  Good education is accomplished through positive relationships, trust, and feeling a sense of belonging.  This is what we strive to provide our students, parents, and community.

 Our good people make all the difference in the education we provide.  We work as a team in South Bend and work hard to help each other help our students.  It is a team effort that makes South Bend, "A Great Place for Kids."  Our team and the service we provide are only getting stronger.