In September I wrote about my beliefs as an educator and school administrator and my philosophy that we are one; students, schools and community all existing dependently. I believe student achievement is our number one job as educators. I believe you don’t stop being a DUS student in the summer and we as a school don’t “cut ties” when our students graduate.

Why do I believe these things to be of importance, not only to the school district but also to the community as a whole? I believe it because the success of our children has a direct impact on the success of our community and a strong community creates strong children. Preparing our children for their future academically and socially is a large task and takes a large group of individuals with many different talents.

In the area of student achievement, we are having some outstanding successes. Just a month ago DUHS was ranked higher in the Context and Performance Report Card than any other high school in the county and many other high schools in the area. In fact, we ranked higher than almost every other high school that borders ours in Berrien or Cass counties. We make a big deal of this because it is a source of pride not only for the schools but also for the community. Early in the school year you read or heard about two of our elementary schools being designated by the state as Reward Schools: Patrick Hamilton for the first time and Sister Lakes for the second year in a row.

The relationship between the schools and the community is more than just test scores and rankings though.

We have partnered with groups such as 5-Star at DMS to bring in community mentors and a program to help our students at a difficult age of transition.

We have partnered with BTCU to help our students understand the ins and outs of banking and the importance of saving and finances.

We have Rotary Interact, a group of high school students dedicated to helping our community by collecting food and performing other civic-minded acts.

We have started the Chieftain Health Scoop Initiative. Through this endeavor a newsletter and Facebook page have been developed. This is an opportunity to share information about the social, emotional and health issues that our students face on a day-to-day basis with parents and guardians. These parents, guardians and extended families have the greatest impact on the lives of our students.

Another piece of the school-community relationship is the facilities that we provide our students. Over the upcoming months we will be forming committees to look at needs of the district that have been identified by you, the parents, guardians and community members of the Dowagiac Union School District. This process began with tours of the school buildings that make up our district and will culminate with a plan of how to address the needs of the district in a realistic and manageable manner. This is an open invitation to all those interested in having a voice.

Together we make a difference in our children’s lives. Our partnership is strong and getting stronger.

On Dowagiac!

 

Paul Hartsig is the superintendent of Dowagiac Union Schools.