The teachers and staff of Van Buren Schools met on Monday, August 26, for their opening day festivities.
All school employees started the day in the auditorium to hear remarks from Superintendent Dr. Jason Inkrott, Board President Andy Fisher, and a variety of other administrators and union representatives. New employees who had been hired over the summer were also introduced.
One of the highlights of the morning was hearing VB student Cara Nichols speak about the teachers and staff who have impacted her educational journey, whether they greeted her with a smile as she boarded the bus or helped her through her day while recovering from a broken clavicle while in elementary school.
Middle School Principal Jenn Barrett then led a team-building activity aimed at fostering connections not only among district employees but also with the students who will be arriving for their first day of school on Tuesday, September 3.
The remainder of the day included the building principals meeting with teachers to plan for the upcoming year and a variety of professional development sessions, including the following:
a roundtable discussion titled Building Thinking Classrooms for elementary, middle, and high school math teachers
a Heimlich maneuver training with Nurse Judy Prater
a Learning Blade webinar for grades 5-12 STEM, Computer Science, Science, and Agriculture Education teachers
a session about using artificial intelligence to enhance teacher productivity using the Khanmigo platform
a session for the transportation department to understand and address students’ needs on school buses to ensure their safety and well-being
an overview of the state-mandated Science of Reading professional development program and requirements for high-quality student data and professional growth plans
an overview of Tier 3 Intervention techniques and expectations.
Dr. Inkrott, when reflecting on the day’s events, said, “We are so excited to welcome everyone back, and we look forward to welcoming our students back to school next week. Today was an exceptional day of learning for our entire staff. Thank you to Mrs. Cassie Schaffer, Director of Teaching and Learning, for creating such valuable professional development that will help our phenomenal educators continue to grow as professionals.”
