2016-17 Academic Calendar Adopted

Click Here for a copy of the 16-17 SB Calendar

At their regular March meeting, the South Bend School District board of directors adopted the 2016-17 Academic Calendar.  The calendar is available for download through this blog article or at the district website.




Calendar Main Points

• School starts Sept 1, 2016
• Christmas Break Dec 19-Jan 1
• Mid-winter break March 1-3
• Spring Break April 17-21
• Graduation June 9
• Last day of school June 15

In addition, there are two 4-day weekends in conjunction with teacher training and federal holidays, one in January and one in February.

City agrees to one-way street

It is nice to see so many parents, grandparents, and friends dropping off or picking up their children each day of school.  That being said, it is easy to observe the traffic issues created by the severe congestion of school buses, vehicles, and pedestrians, all converging to one spot on First Street each and every day of school.

Still considering myself new to the district, I have been told that this has "always" been an issue, and every so many years possible solutions have been discussed.

However, we have a fresh attempt to ease the concern that was approved yesterday by the South Bend City Council.  First Street, between Jefferson and Monroe, will soon become one-way.

In mid February, South Bend Mayor Struck, City Supervisor Dennis Hauck, Chief Dave Eastham and the school district discussed multiple ideas.  In the end, the one-way seemed to provide the safest, doable alternative to the current situation.  In addition to the the one-way, which will move west to east, the district is looking at adjusting the parking to be angled, as well as designate visitor only parking in specific areas.  We will also look at parallel parking our buses at the end of the day along First Street, which will keep the full street open as parents arrive and leave the school area.  Finally, we hope to work with the City to repaint crosswalks and fog lines to clearly delineate the path of travel.

We hope to start planning the transition in the next couple days, and will be working with the City to implement the new design.  Much of the painting requires drier weather, so it might be a little while before we will see the full results.

I'd like to thank the concerned parents and citizens who spoke up and brought attention to this matter.
As always, if there are questions, ideas, or comments, please feel free to email me at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org, call at 875-6041, or stop by and visit.

Vision for our School District

One of my tasks as superintendent is to set a course of direction for where we are going as a school district.
With the intention of doing what is best for all students, we strive to provide opportunities that both challenge and support student interests and needs, delivering a meaningful education.  We accomplish this with a supportive community, a dedicated support staff, and effective teachers and administrators---all working to make South Bend a Great Place for Kids.

The following is a vision for our school district, and points I believe will guide our path forward.  I shared this with staff at the beginning of the school year, and want to now share with our community.  I am hoping this will help give our community an idea of what we strive to stand for in the South Bend School District:

Vision for South Bend Public Schools

Every student is prepared to realize their full potential in achieving a high quality of life both at school and beyond.

Mission of South Bend Public Schools

To prepare our students to be life/career/college ready by providing supportive, meaningful, and challenging opportunities in every aspect of the educational experience.

We will achieve our vision and mission by:

1. Ensuring that every decision is made with an intentional focus on equity and excellence for student learning.
2. Implementing instruction aligned to primary, secondary, and postsecondary readiness.
3. Using collaborative systems throughout all levels of the school organization.
4. Improving our practice by being innovative, intentional in action, and responsive to circumstances and data.
5. Celebrating school, staff, and student success.
6. Recruiting, growing, and supporting impactful teachers and leaders.

Beliefs that inform our Theory of Action:

1. We exist to provide quality education accessible by all students.
2. Effective teachers are the most important school factor for student learning.
3. Principals are the the most important school factor in support of good teaching.
4. Everyone in our organization is a learner.
5. We cannot be effective in isolation.
6. We are only as good as our team.

South Bend Schools … Five years from now

• We are known as the school that supports and helps all kids.
• All students demonstrate proficiency or beyond at the time of graduation.
• Our culture is defined by teamwork, cooperation, and trust.
• We are known as a school system of learners: students, teachers, and staff alike.
• We are known as one of the best places to work in the local area.
• We are known as a school system striving to, “go the extra mile”.

Having outlined the above vision and mission for South Bend School District, it is important for all of us to remember there is always room to improve and grow.  We need to innovate, we need to be willing to work hard and try new things, and we need to accept the fact we will sometimes fall short.  With the best interests of kids at the forefront of our intentions, we will continue to serve our students well and provide our very best to the community.

If you have ideas or questions, please contact me at: jtienhaa@southbendschools.org

Opening for Junior High English-Language Arts Teacher

South Bend Public Schools has a teacher opening for the 2016-17 school year for junior high English-language arts.

We are seeking excellent educators desiring to make a difference in the lives of students.  South Bend is known for academic excellence and we are looking for teacher candidates willing to be part of our collaborative team.

Teacher characteristics should include:

• Belief that all students can learn
• Willingness to be innovative and try new things
• Encourage student interests
• Ability to be a productive member of a professional team environment

Not required, but we would love teacher candidates to:

• Speak Spanish, possess multiple endorsements, be willing to coach

Please visit our website for application information, or contact Superintendent Jon Tienhaara at jtienhaa@southbendschools.org. 

Dan Raymond--SB's Teacher of Many Talents...

Credit retrieval, ELL (English Language Learner), Driver Education, Online classes, and CVA (Columbia Virtual Academy)---Dan Raymond does it all...

Mr. Raymond, who came to South Bend in 1997, has 25 years of teaching experience in a wide variety of assignments and subjects, and has proven to be an invaluable faculty member responsible for numerous South Bend programs.

In working with Dan, it is easy to see how his knowledge and desire to teach kids makes a big impact.  "I really just appreciate the opportunity to work with students," he says.  "It is a privilege to educate kids and I love the fact that my job is never the same... I like the variety," Mr. Raymond continues.  "The kids keep me young."

One of Mr. Raymond's primary roles at South Bend is ELL instruction, and providing students

with independent opportunities to learn through online classes.  "When students need to retrieve a credit, or if a schedule conflict occurs for a student's required class, students can usually take the class online through our Apex program," Dan explains.  "I have students throughout the day working on these classes."

In addition to his full day schedule, Mr. Raymond also runs South Bend's driver education program year-around.

Mr. Raymond's vast experience and ability to teach multiple subjects allowed him to start up and serve as one of the core teachers in the South Bend Columbia Virtual Academy program.  Started during the 14-15 school year, CVA-SB currently serves almost 60 students throughout Washington.  Dan teaches the majority of these students, and does a tremendous job handling multiple subjects.  "I like the flexibility it gives students and I enjoy helping the kids who have all sorts of needs," says Mr. Raymond.  South Bend is now the only CVA program in the state teaching students K-12, as other schools do not have the personnel or ability to manage the high school logistics.

Walking into Dan's classroom at South Bend HS gives a perspective on how he likes to relate with students.  The room is decorated with flags from around the world as well as music memorabilia, and he has a story to go with many of the items. "I like exposing the kids to different and interesting ideas based on things I've done and places I've been," he comments.  "I try to bring things back to the school that I can share with students."  Dan is a learner himself, always endeavoring to learn new things and stay current.  His ambition to keep learning and improving his practice is a model for all of us.

Dan has traveled all over the world, attending various sporting events and music concerts.  It is not rare for Dan to fly (or drive) to all parts of the country on a weekend or school break to attend a professional baseball game or listen to a band.  Having personal connections to Buzz Osborne and the Melvins, as well as the legendary band Nirvana, Dan talks about many of his experiences with these groups and shares his love of sports and music with his students--certainly a manner of building relationships.

  Education is not a one-size-fits-all process.  Dan Raymond serves a vital role at South Bend, providing opportunities to students when traditional means of school might not work out.  As superintendent, I appreciate all of Dan's hard work and his unending willingness to go the extra mile for students.

Whether his students are in his classroom, in the driver ed car, or across the state in CVA, Dan is making a difference.