The school year is well underway, and our staff and students have settled into a productive and focused routine of teaching and learning.  As a school system, we are striving to provide for our students the best educational experience possible.  We are working to build upon past successes to make our schools even better.  Our top priorities this year center on a number of major initiatives that will further improve our schools:

• The launch of the Mount Si High School Freshman Campus this fall has been a big success, as the feedback from staff, parents, and students has been very positive.

• Principals and teachers are working to align our curriculum with the Common Core state standards.  These standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn. They are designed to be rigorous, relevant to the real world, and reflective of the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.

• Our district is also making a strong push into STEM educational programming.  STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is an integrated hands-on approach to learning which focuses upon real-world problem-solving. Because engineering, math, science and technology-fluency are what many employers and universities are seeking, our students need this type of educational experience if they are to be competitive upon graduating from high school.

• Another major initiative is implementation of a new system for teacher and principal evaluation.  The new system will focus upon growth, improvement, and accountability.  The teachers and principals in our district are doing excellent work in our classrooms and schools.  We believe that the new evaluation system will be a source of support for them as they work to deepen their knowledge and further refine their skills.

In the coming months, planning related to school facilities will continue as we look toward the future and consider how education will be delivered to students attending our schools in the years to come.

In addition to the aforementioned initiatives, our principals, teachers, and support staff will undoubtedly be looking to incorporate other innovative strategies, programs, and changes this year—all in the interest of better supporting the students in our schools.  Our dedicated staff believes that the children of our community deserve the best school experience possible.  I invite you to support them in this important work.

Joel Aune

Snoqualmie Valley School District Superintendent