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IN THIS ISSUE
Superintendent Comments
Board Chair Comments
Board Member Comments
Adult & Community Education
The Education Foundation
Drug Free Collier
David Lawrence Center
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 IMPORTANT DATES
Sept. 5 - No School
Sept. 21 - First Quarter Interims
Sept. 29 - Early Dismissal*
*Early dismissal is 3 hours earlier
than regular dismissal time.
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 BOARD MEETINGS
Sept. 6 - 4:30 pm
Workshop
Sept. 6 - 6:15 pm (time certain)
Final Budget Hearing
Sept. 20 - 4:30 pm
Regular Board Meeting
Additional information on our
website at www.collierschools.com |
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From the Superintendent
Dr. Kamela Patton
 The 2011-2012 school year is off to a fabulous start. In my visits to many of our schools thus far, I have had an opportunity to see wonderful examples of student engagement and learning. In some instances, what I observed gave me the impression that we were farther into the school year. In my tour of the district, on behalf of the Governance Team (School Board Members and the Superintendent), School Board Chair Julie Sprague and I were actually able to feel the positive energy and enthusiasm of our teachers, especially our "newbies". Our visits, which were in keeping with our "Way of Work - Collier" Governance Model, made me fondly recall my years in the classroom. As I reflect upon them, I realize those were the best times in my 25-year career. Having taught at all levels, I have a sincere regard for what our 3,000 teachers do on a daily basis.
During my visits, I also witnessed a great deal of parent and community involvement. It does as they say, "take a village to raise a child". We are in this together. The commitment made by the community and parents, and the support we receive from both sectors is much appreciated. To help parents remain involved in their child's life - and more specifically their education - we will soon be launching our "Be There" campaign which will help parents turn ordinary moments with their children into extraordinary ones.
As you probably know, I am all about communication. It is a top priority for me. I will soon be announcing dates and locations of my series of Town Hall Meetings and I will be reaching you monthly with my Collier Communicator articles. I wish to stay in touch on a more regular basis by communicating electronically, via e-mail, since this is the preferred method of communication for most of us. To help me do this, I ask that you share your e-mail address. Go to the home page at www.collierschools.com to find two side-by-side "send us your e-mail" links - one for parents and another for community members. I look forward to communicating with you.
I hope this is your best school year yet!
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From the School Board Chair
Julie Sprague
 The new school year is underway and off to a smooth start. There is a revitalized energy across the district that is palpable. The school district is running efficiently and moving forward because of the balance, integrity, and stability of the School Board and our new Superintendent. Together we comprise the Collier County Public Schools’ Governance Team which is following the “Way of Work – Collier.” It is part of the Governance Model that is embedded in the strategic plan which was adopted by the School Board earlier this year. With Dr. Patton joining us, we now have a team of solid, level-headed decision makers in place to help move the district forward in a clearly defined and positive way. With communication being one of Dr. Patton’s strengths, you will be given many opportunities to communicate with our Governance Team. We will begin conducting a series of Town Hall Meetings scheduled in geographically diverse sections of the county to gather input from you about key issues facing the district in the near future. If you would like more information on how to best communicate with us, please visit our website at www.collierschools.com. Our Governance Model is posted there for your review. If you wish to communicate with me directly, please send an e-mail to spraguju@collierschools.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Board Member Comments
Barbara Berry
 Another school year is underway with the anticipation of what this year will bring. It was great to hear the positive comments in regard to the kickoff for our Principals, first day back for teachers, and opening day for students with few glitches.
It takes much effort on the part of all employees to keep the “machine” running smoothly. My thanks to those who keep the system functioning properly.
To our parents and students, you are why we are here. Parents assume the role of preparing your children to come to school ready to learn by providing proper food, clothing, and general support for the learning process. The student’s role is to be open to learning and co-operating with teachers and fellow students in the learning environment.
With the leadership of our new Superintendent, we look forward to good things from our schools this year. I thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this process and wish all good things for our students and for those who serve them.
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Board Member Comments
Pat Carroll
 Welcome to a new school year, full of promise and excitement and welcome to Collier County to those of you new to our area. Of course, one of those new to the area is our Superintendent, Dr. Kamela Patton. I hope all of you readers have the opportunity to meet Dr. Patton in the near future. You will be inspired by her energy and by how much she has learned about our community in such a short time. Dr. Patton brings a fresh perspective on student achievement and a personal commitment to make each employee's work experience a positive one.
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Board Member Comments
Kathy Curatolo
 I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Dr. Patton for her diligence in reaching out to our community, accepting speaking engagements, participating with numerous organizations in collaborative activities, and meeting with staff members to ensure a culture of openness and transparency is immediately addressed. I am confident that her efforts to hit the ground running will prove to be highly effective in building a foundation for continuous improvement as we embark upon the 2011-2012 school year.
At our August School Board Workshop, we discussed and revised the 2011-2012 superintendent's goals and evaluation rating scale. The final evaluation instrument was ultimately agreed upon unanimously by the School Board and Dr. Patton and can be found on our CCPS website at www.collierschools.com. Board members were also provided a thorough update on the Strategic Plan with the addition of baseline data from which to determine our progress in the coming year. A continuation of this review will be scheduled for our next workshop in early September.
We welcome back our 43,000+ students, staff, and families with great enthusiasm! The civility, professionalism, and transparency with which the School Board and Dr. Patton have worked over the past two months have set a refreshing precedent for our work to come.
Finally, and most importantly, please remember to abide by the school zone speed limits during the morning and afternoon dismissal hours to ensure the safety of our children, particularly those who walk to and from school each day. I look forward to a great school year!
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Board Member Comments
Roy Terry
 The 2011-2012 school year is off to a very positive start after a week of planning, in-service, and preparation by teachers, staff, and administration. The students arrived on Monday, August 22, 2011, and by all indications the start was a smooth one at all levels. Teachers were actively involved in academics from the opening bell. Administrators were busy dealing with students and parents, and extracurricular programs were moving forward at a rapid pace. Volleyball and football games were scheduled for the first week of school.
Our Superintendent, Dr. Kamela Patton, and School Board Chair, Julie Sprague, have been busy visiting schools and the School Board has been busy revising policy, working on the District’s Strategic Plan, and developing an evaluation tool for our Superintendent. We have also developed a legislative platform for 2012. The District set seven or eight goals to present to our state representatives. Of those we chose to emphasize three major areas of concern:
1. Place a one-year moratorium on any new mandates, funded or non-funded. Over the past two or three years, the State has passed numerous bills that have placed a burden of time and money on our District and particularly on our teachers. We feel that the system needs time to implement these new responsibilities without having more placed on the District. Teachers need time to plan and teach.
2. Middle school Civics, and end-of-course exam requirement to be promoted to 9th grade. We all feel that Civics instruction is very important and that students need to understand the principles upon which this country was founded. We also feel that the requirement to pass an end-of-course test will place an unnecessary burden on our middle schools to accommodate the number of students who could be held back. We suggest that the end-of-course test requirement be eliminated or that a variety of opportunities be made available to students, rather than just one test.
3. Elimination of the two weeks before Labor Day requirement for the start of school. We feel that each school district should be able to determine when they will open schools. There are many benefits to starting school earlier and school districts should be able to adopt a schedule that is good for their individual district.
I hope everyone has had an excellent opening of the school year and we look forward to an outstanding 2011-2012 school year. Together we can make it happen.
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FEEDBACK WELCOMED!
