By Natasha L. Adams, Superintendent
Persistence, perseverance, and continuous improvement are the ingredients for forming a successful person. Debasish Mridh
Continuous improvement requires a commitment to learning. As a school district, we have made a commitment to continually seek to become better at what we do – provide a safe, united, academically challenging environment where all students achieve excellence.
As district superintendent, my commitment to learning includes fostering relationships with all of our stakeholders – from our youngest learners to our oldest residents, developing a stronger vision to guide us from the present into the future, and communicating all of what we do and who we are.
Each child is valued and unique and deserves our very best efforts to support him or her in a personalized learning journey. We know that strong instructional leadership and collaboration lead to more impactful and intentional learning, a more empowering and individualized classroom environment, and more fulfilling and effective relationships.
This school year, we have approached our commitment to learning with intentionality through our four areas of focus: Academic Achievement, Courageous Culture, Future Ready, and Operational Excellence. Below I have outlined some of what we have accomplished so far this year and how it has directly affected the student experience we provide at West Clermont.
Academic Achievement:
- Each school created and is implementing a Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP) with goals and actions to improve literacy, mathematics, and the culture and climate of the schools through PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports). Improving learning outcomes for our students is our top priority.
- The $1 million dollars Striving Readers Grant has afforded us professional learning opportunities for our K-8 teachers and much-needed literacy materials for the classrooms.
Courageous Culture:
- All schools are in the beginning stages of implementing our district-wide social-emotional learning programs to support our student’s abilities to become resilient and persistent in life.
- Elementary Caring School Community
- Middle School Thriving Learning Communities
- High School Respect the Pack with an R Factor emphasis
- The HOPE Squad, which is a program that trains students to recognize warning signs in depressed or suicidal peers and to empower them to report those signs to an adult, has started at West Clermont Middle School and is forming at West Clermont High School.
Future Ready:
- As part of our career education and leadership development program, WCYourFuture, some of our high school students participated in Anthony Munoz Youth Leadership Day, West Point Societies of Cincinnati: Leadership and Ethics Day, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Science Symposium.
- We are pleased to work with the following partners on career pathway exploration: Medical Explorers – Mercy Hospital Clermont, Aviation Explorers – Sporty’s, Technology Career Exploration – Tata Consultancy Services, Project Teach – WC district administrator, Leadership – LEAD Clermont Academy, Skilled Trades – Great Oaks. Future success for our students will not depend just on academic content knowledge; therefore, a focus on life skills is important in West Clermont.
Operational Excellence:
- Thank you to the elementary families for their level of engagement and participation in the elementary attendance boundary changes. Transition teams are working hard to process grandfathering requests, building-to-building transfer requests, and developing plans for special ceremonies and events. More detailed information will be shared in March.
- We are pleased to announce we are able to add window air conditioning units at Branter (where Clough students will attend in the 2019-20 school year), Holly Hill, and Merwin. Now, all West Clermont students will be able to learn in climate-controlled environments starting next school year.
We are dedicated to ensuring each student achieves excellence in his or her educational journey at West Clermont. We know we have the greatest chance of success in making this happen when we ourselves are learners, continually seeking solutions and best practices, leaning into new experiences, and focusing on how to improve how we serve each student each day.
Respectfully,
Natasha Adams
Superintendent
