As August draws to a close, September’s promise of a fresh beginning is just ahead. "Back to School" has special meanings for each of us, whether we are students (former or current), educators, or parents. At Wayland-Cohocton, the start of a new school year represents renewal of our commitment to helping our students develop their potential and achieve their dreams. We know that learning is the key to success: therefore learning will be our focus.

We are moving away from curriculum practices that simply define what to teach and moving to a curriculum that focuses on what our students learn. Learning will be even more personal as we challenge students based upon their academic needs and strengths and then monitor learning and adjust instruction. Collaborative curriculum teams of teachers are also working to raise the bar for student achievement by defining the knowledge and the skills that each student is expected to achieve.

Learning has been a summer activity for many of our teachers and administrators, as they participated in a variety of professional development opportunities. Many thanks to all of our staff and faculty, who have devoted many summer hours of work to plan, discuss and improve the programs, curriculum and contact time we have with our students. Educational systems grow and change daily based on the needs of our students, the expectations of our community and the mandates from both State and Federal governments. While it requires a balancing act, the commitment shown over the summer has been incredible. I am constantly amazed by the energy of our staff to become leaders among their peers, working toward improved learning opportunities, enrichment activities and accountability requirements.

It won’t be long and the students will once again, hop off those bright yellow buses and begin another year of school. As always we encourage you to stay in contact with the school, your child’s teachers and other personnel who are here to help you and provide wonderful learning experiences for your children. Enjoy the numerous school events, concerts, performances, activities and athletic contests. These are a great way to spend family time together close to home. This campus, school, and children belong to the community and it is only through that cooperative effort that we can provide all the experiences they will need as they continue to grow and develop.

Please take advantage of the various open houses and orientations in the next few weeks and enjoy these final days of summer. Do not hesitate to contact your child’s building if you have questions about the start of school. There are plenty of people to help make the start of school a positive experience for your child.