A new school year is upon us. The 2023-2024 school year offers plenty of promise and opportunity.

Our K-5 students will have a new SEL curriculum. TRAILS will provide our students with opportunities to learn and apply skills in understanding and managing emotions, setting and achieving positive goals, showing empathy for others, and establishing and maintaining positive relationships. We piloted this program last year at Lakes Elementary and have expanded it to all of our DK-5 buildings this year.

We are updating our strategic plan this year. RAMS XII will build on the work that has taken place in our district for many years. We have started this work and will identify ways for our community to become involved in helping us set our direction for the next three years. The goal is to have the Board of Education officially approve the new RAMS XII in August 2024.

Our new elementary continues to be built on the west side of the district. Edgerton Trails Elementary will be completed by the summer of 2024. Shannon Ouellette, currently the principal of Belmont Elementary, has been named the principal of our new school. Over the course of this year, work will finish on the physical structure and work will continue on staffing and program development.

I trust that this new year will once again challenge our students and help them continue to grow and develop as we work together as a Rockford community to provide them with opportunities and support.

 

Dr. Steve Matthews