Thankful for Our Employees

This week is Staff Appreciation Week at South Bend Public Schools.  As we get close to wrapping up yet another year, it is well worth the time to recognize and honor the amazing staff who make a difference in over 600 students throughout our school district.  It is with a lot of pride that I highlight our staff.

South Bend Early Learning

The Early Learning program at South Bend is where it all begins for the majority of our students' education.  With almost 100 students in our program, both full day and part day classes, these ladies do an incredible job readying our birth to 4 year old kiddos.  One day spent in these classrooms will give you a tremendous appreciation for what a preschool education entails, and the staff in our Early Learning program make it look easy.  The Early Learning program provides an important support to our community infants, toddlers, and preschool children, and they achieve this with patience, love, and true professional care.  Our community is fortunate to have such a rich learning environment for our pre-k students.

Chauncey Davis Elementary

The elementary school years provide the basis for so much of what our students will become.  It is during these years when students learn more about themselves and grow many of the skills they will depend on for the rest of their lives.  Students at Chauncey Davis are fortunate to have a caring, nurturing staff who work tirelessly to ensure all aspects of a positive learning environment is created and maintained.  From the principal's office to the classrooms, from the kitchen to the hallways and playgrounds, kids are the number one priority for these staff members.  It is reassuring to see this team of educators work so hard, and they all make a difference in the lives of students each and every day.

SB Jr. Sr. High

As students enter the junior/senior high years, they need the caring support and example of teachers, paraprofessionals, office staff, principals, coaches, and all other adults in their lives.  South Bend students are not lacking when it comes to having the support and guidance of quality role models in their school staff members.  I am frequently amazed at how smooth a typical day at South Bend High School goes, how friendly the students interact with each other, and how so many positive relationships exist between staff and students.  The group of professionals working with our students at SB Jr. Sr. High School do an amazing job.

Transportation

Our bus drivers are the first ones to see our students in the morning and the last to say goodbye in the late afternoon when we bring students home.  SB transportation does an incredible job safely bringing our students to and from school, driving students on field trips, and taking our teams to daily extracurricular activities.  Always with a smile, these staff members work hard to ensure our kids are taken care of while traveling on our school busses.  I couldn't ask for a better group of drivers to ensure our students' safety day after day.

Other Vital Staff

South Bend School District relies on over 100 employees and volunteers each day to educate our community's students.  None of this would be possible without the daily support from our food service staff, maintenance department, computer IT staff, and district office staff.  These people work behind the scenes (and often all hours)  to ensure school operations run smooth, safe, and efficient.  I am thankful to have such competent and caring employees in these vital areas.

Making the Difference for Kids

I hope this short article gives a good idea of the quality of staff we have serving students at South Bend Public Schools.  A common expression is that South Bend is a great place for kids.  The school staff in South Bend make this expression a reality and do so each and every day.  To the staff of our school district, I would like to say thank you for all you do.  As a parent and as your co-worker, I believe our school is fortunate to have each and every one of you working on behalf of students.

Opening for 6th grade teacher

South Bend School District is taking applications for a 6th grade teacher for the 2016-17 school year.

For details, please contact Superintendent Jon Tienhaara or Principal Kresta Byington.

visit http://southbendschools.org/domain/17 for application instructions.

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