Striving to Meet the Needs of our Students and Community - March 2005
Dr. William C. Skilling
Last month the Board approved three new initiatives that will provide new opportunities for the school district to meet the needs of our students and community members. The three initiatives are a Developmental Kindergarten program, Early Childhood Developmental Delay (ECDD) program and to pursue a recreation millage to support recreation and health care programs for students and community members.
The Developmental Kindergarten (DK) program will benefit young five-year olds who are not quite ready for kindergarten. The Developmental Kindergarten program is designed to provide children with additional time for physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. The goal of the program is to develop a positive self-concept and strong self-esteem. Children are allowed to mature at their own rate in an activity-oriented environment in which they participate in large group, small group, and individual learning situations that include music, drama, and art. Creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving activities are encouraged. This program will be discussed in more detail at Kindergarten Round-up on April 15, 2005. Please contact Mrs. Suzi Slater, Elementary Principal, at 521-3071if you have any questions regarding this program.
The Early Childhood Developmental Delay (ECDD) was formerly named pre-primary impaired (PPI). Students with early childhood developmental delay are 3-7 years old whose development is significantly delayed in one or more areas. The ECDD program will assist pre-school age children in developing the precursor skills for kindergarten and will address barriers to school success at an early age. The purpose of starting this program is to provide better support for our families who have pre-school age children with special needs. The children can be serviced in our district rather than be bussed long distances to other locations outside of Webberville. If you have any questions regarding this new program, please contact Mr. Chuck Harper, Special Education Supervisor, at 521-3071.
In June of 2006, Webberville Community Schools will be opening its new Community Recreation/Athletic Center. This center will provide many new opportunities and services for our students and community members. The goal of this new facility is to provide recreation opportunities year-round from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. This facility will accommodate athletic competitions and recreation activities at the same time. Community members will be able to use it throughout the day even when physical education classes are in session or athletic practices are being held. The facility will also have a healthcare clinic, which will provide students and community members access to basic healthcare which is a service not currently available in our community.
In conjunction with the planned community center, the Board of Education has approved a resolution to seek a Recreation Millage of 1.5 mills. The purpose of this millage is to allow the community recreation/athletic center and the outdoor athletic facilities to operate at their fullest capacity. The new facility, along with the revenue from the recreation millage, will open the door to enhanced recreation opportunities for our students and the entire community. The millage will have an immediate impact by allowing the district to hire a recreation/healthcare director and recreation support staff to monitor the facility so it can be open from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. for community use.
The recreation millage will cover the cost of operation, as well as, help the district by offsetting the cost of utilities and maintenance of the facility. The recreation millage would also be used to maintain our outdoor athletic and recreation facilities and make improvements to those facilities over time. The
benefits to the community will include the ability to offer free senior citizen exercise classes, minimize the cost to parents to have their children participate in recreation programs, and additional recreation opportunities for everyone in the community. The cost to a home owner of a $200,000 home would be $12.50 per month. A successful recreation millage would mean that the use of all recreation facilities would be free to community members.
In our phase II bond which is tentatively scheduled for February or May of 2007, we will add two new softball and two new baseball diamonds, 8 outdoor tennis courts, and complete our new track and football stadium. The recreation millage will help support the maintenance and operation of these facilities. (Note: The phase II bond will not increase taxes) In
future articles and community meetings, I will talk further about the recreation millage and its benefits to our students and community members. If you have any questions regarding the recreation millage, please contact me at 521-3422.