Donna's Dispatch

October 2007 

A message from Donna Bernard

Superintendent of Schools

 

Greetings to you,

 

The autumn splendor in Coventry provides an excellent opportunity for us to attend to the wide ranging color of our physical environment and celebrate its beauty. Staying particularly focused on the moment can make the stunning fall display even more spectacular.  When the sun shines, it’s the “golden glow” upon the leaves. Even when the skies are all white with clouds, I call it the “white sky glow.” (It helps avoid the depression of no sun!)  Autumn in New England is a wonderful time for reflection and celebration of nature’s diversity and variation.

 

This season of such color in the environment serves as a perfect backdrop for studying our students in the fall. They are in a new school year with a new grade and a new teacher. It is at this time that we review the records from last year and begin to see their performance in a new setting.  Lots of fresh relationships are formed with both students and parents.  The variety of skills, experiences, supports, and capabilities related to each young student gives us a composite picture not unlike that of an autumn arbor scene.  Every year, as a result of different conditions and attention, the trees produces different hues and demonstrate a brand new panorama.  Our students, reflecting their wide variety of support systems, exhibit different behaviors, emotional states, tendencies, and competencies.  We see our young charges in a most positive light, like the “golden” or the “white sky glow.”  We assess their strengths, their personal resources, and develop programs and practices that help them reflect their “beauty.”

 

Your support and attention to Coventry’s young people is ever so much appreciated.  They grow and develop based directly on the attention and efforts made on their behalf. Each student has needs and propensities that need to be identified and addressed comprehensively by the adults within their environment.  Like the autumn panoramic splendor, we, as a society, will benefit from a future generation that has been well cared for and attended to.  Your partnership with us is valued.

 

Best regards,

Donna

 

PS:  Do you have questions or comments for the Superintendent?  Our next fall Donuts with Donna session is set for Wednesday, November 7 from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. at The Knitting Nook, 3466 Main Street.  I look forward to our conversation.