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Students Return to the Classroom for 2011-2012 School Year
Reno, NV (Aug. 29, 2011) - The Washoe County School District welcomed more than 45,000 students back into the classroom Monday as 67 schools opened to start the 2011-2012 traditional school year.
While some schools have been in session for several weeks, Monday marked the first day of school for the majority of the District's approximately 63,000 students.
"There is always a certain level of excitement and anticipation for the first day of school," WCSD Superintendent Heath Morrison said. "I love having the opportunity to spend the day with many of our children and talking to parents and teachers as they celebrate the beginning of the new school year."
Morrison kicked off the beginning of the traditional school calendar by visiting schools around the District. He started by walking to class with a group of students from Traner Middle School. He was joined by Traner Principal Chad Lindeen, WCSD Board of Trustees members Barbara McLaury and John Mayer, Senator Don Gustavson and Senator Sheila Leslie. Morrison continued his day by eating lunch with students from Dilworth Middle School and participating in a school assembly at Sierra Vista Elementary School. He finished the day with a bus ride home with students.
While students and teachers got settled in to their new classrooms, area superintendents and teams of central services support staff visited every school to provide encouragement and assistance addressing any problems that arose. These teams met late in the afternoon to discuss any unresolved problems at the schools, and Morrison said the teams will continue to meet every afternoon during the first week as long as unresolved issues remain.
WCSD Trustee John Mayer, who visited schools with Morrison, said, "As a former teacher and principal, I know how much effort goes into preparing for the first day of school. I really enjoyed seeing all of the District's teachers welcoming their students with so much enthusiasm. The work of the District's employees made this first day of school a great one for all of our elementary, middle and high school students."
Board of Trustees President Barbara McLaury commented that she hoped the 2011-2012 school year would bring additional improvement within the District. "The progress we are making with the reforms in our strategic plan, Envision WCSD 2015 - Investing In Our Future, is motivating. Our latest test results that show marked improvement for the second consecutive year signify that we are positively impacting our students' lives. With the initiatives and new programs the District has planned this year, I am looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish."
Several academic programs and new initiatives will be introduced this year to improve student achievement and provide additional opportunities for parent and community involvement, including:
- The Parent University. The doors to the new Parent University will open in September. With more than 200 free classes, this endeavor will provide a unique way for the District to partner with parents so they can work together to help all students succeed in the classroom.
- The Community Compact. This comprehensive community-wide program in support of K-12 education in Washoe County has been developed by the Nevada Public Education Foundation/Ready for Life and the Council for Excellence in Education. It is a new initiative that promotes community involvement in schools through volunteerism and other activities.
- An expanded tuition-based full-day kindergarten program. More than a dozen WCSD elementary schools are now offering this program, which gives more of our youngest children the gift of early learning.
- Changes to the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program. In addition to adding four middle school magnet programs, enhancements to the elementary GATE program will give more children advanced learning opportunities.
Additional back to school information on transportation, school meals, bell schedules and more is available on the District's website at http://www.washoecountyschools.org/schools/register.
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About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
For more information visit: www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89512
