Cross Country Coach of the Year
Our very own Dennis Schoenfelder has earned the Cross Country Coach of the Year honor for the Southern Peaks League. This comes on the end of his 25th season as the cross country coach for Center Schools. This isn’t the first time Coach Schoenfelder has been recognized as the Coach of the Year, he has earned the SPL honor on several occasions and in 2004 he was the Coach of the Year for the state, and he was even recognized as one of the top eight coaches in the nation that same year. He has had many successes along the way, including multiple state competitions, state championships, and his team has qualified in the top ten for cross country teams across the state over ten times. Our athletes have benefitted from his coaching skills as he has helped a number of runners earn All Valley and All American awards. His classroom walls are covered with plaques, trophies, jerseys and medals that provide evidence of all that he has accomplished over his years of coaching. We are fortunate to have Mr. Schoenfelder in our district, both as a coach and a teacher. Please help us in congratulating Coach Schoenfelder for another successful season and this well-deserved recognition!
Halloween Festivities
Haskin elementary kids looked fabulous on October 31st for the annual Halloween Parade. The range of costumes and level of creativity was impressive. Students assumed the roles of superheroes, trolls, Care Bears, historical figures, animals, angels, dinosaurs, shark tanks and more! The halls of Haskin elementary came to life and the kids and community came together for some Halloween fun!
Staff Development
This Friday, students had the day off, but our teachers and staff were hard at work during our professional development day. Four times a year, students are released for the day, so that our staff can come together and continue their learning and development as it aligns to the overall district initiatives. The day began with staff reviewing the District Action Plan. We are working on revising and updating the District Action Plan that was put into place last year by our District Leadership Team. The five improvement strategies encompass the priority areas of the district that ultimately help us to accomplish our core belief, which is increased academic achievement and development for ALL students. Staff then had time to work on Improvement Strategy #1 from our District Action Plan, which is focused on curriculum and instruction. The remainder of the day, staff learned from each other, in various breakout sessions that were taught by colleagues in identified areas. We have a great deal of valuable expertise and experience on our staff that allows us the chance to learn from each other. Thanks to our Director of Instruction, Stephanie Hensley, for coordinating the day. The end of the day wrapped up with some team building fun led by high school principal, Kevin Jones.
These professional development days are vital for our staff. Based on walkthrough observations, student assessments, and ongoing conversations, we have identified specific areas of interest or need. We have targeted these areas so that we can provide additional support for our staff through professional development. These opportunities help to ensure that staff maintain and enhance the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver quality instruction to our students and to guarantee that we are providing our students with the best educational experience possible. Thanks to everyone who was willing to share and lead a breakout session. It was a great day of learning!
