Summer 2012


A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

WELCOME to Saginaw Township Community Schools. I am honored and excited to have been selected to lead our great school district forward. There are many wonderful and positive initiatives taking place this year that will continue to make STCS a great place to learn.

The recent bond work has brought about many improvements to our facilities and to our technology equipment, including a new cafeteria at Heritage and new computers throughout the district. We are also excited to be implementing a new reading program in kindergarten through fifth grade called Reading Street, a new science program in sixth and seventh grade called Science Fusion and have expanded our Math In Focus curriculum to include sixth grade.

White Pine Middle School and Heritage High School received authorization this summer from International Baccalaureate to offer the Middle Years Programme in grades six through ten. The MYP will benefit all of our students by providing a model of instruction that will help them be successful with the new Career & College Readiness Standards. There are also many other additions, including new staff members and curriculum changes, which will promote our mission of Achieving Excellence.

Along with the successes from this past year and the excitement surrounding the start of the new school year, there are the challenges that we will work toward overcoming. As you know, budget issues continue to be at the forefront. We are working collectively and collaboratively on our budget to make sure our district remains fiscally responsible and financially stable. Parallel with the financial pressures all school districts are facing are the myriad of changes surrounding accountability and instruction. Regardless of the change in our “cut scores” for MEAP testing, the legislative changes to our accountability practices or the new Career & College Readiness Standards, our goal and our focus should always remain on our students’ educational success.

In order to do so, we will continue to focus our efforts on good instructional practices. The district is implementing a change in how we approach and address the needs of all students, including those struggling to be successful. We have taken many steps toward making a difference with our at-risk students, but need to continue to make strides. We are still in the process of implementing Response to Intervention at all levels, including the continued adoption of the MiBLSi initiative at the K-5 level. We are altering our approaches through the Title I and At-Risk grant programs in order to provide a more focused effort. More importantly, we will provide professional development to our staff regarding approaches to instruction which will benefit our students in each and every classroom. As long as we continue to identify our challenges and work together to overcome them, we will remain an excellent educational community that prides itself on Achieving Excellence.

We are looking forward to another successful school year. As an educational partner, we encourage all parents to become actively involved in their child’s education. We will do our best to provide a great educational experience for all students and would like to work with our parents and our community to do so.

Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions regarding your school district.

Yours in education,

Douglas Trombley
Superintendent