Local Perspective: Back to school time at New Phila
It is hard to believe that we are approaching the start of another school year. The start of a new school year always brings with it a sense of optimism and excitement. New crayon boxes, fresh notebooks, brand new shoes, and a new grade level for students create a special kind of energy.
I personally always look forward to the start of a new year because the possibilities are endless.
What successes will our staff and students have this year? What victories will be won on the athletic field? What new experiences will we be able to provide? The answers to these questions are still unknown, and discovering those answers will be a fun destination to pursue.
We have had a busy summer here in the district. There have been many capital improvements that were completed including replacing asphalt at many of our buildings, repairing some roofs, and repairing and replacing non-working heating and cooling units. In addition, we used donations and grants to completely replace the track at Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium. Cleaning, painting, and mulching our buildings has all been completed by our hard-working buildings and grounds team. As you drive by our buildings, you will see how they shine. A lot of work has taken place this summer.
This fall, New Philadelphia City Schools will be working to develop a new strategic plan for our district. This strategic plan will contain the goals that we are going to focus on as a district for the next 3-5 years. What do you think we need to place our focus on? How can we best help our students? How can we maximize our resources? By identifying our goals, we can ensure that our energy is spent on the right work. Our goals need to reflect the desires of the community, so we need YOUR input to complete this plan.
We will be holding three virtual meetings with community members to gather input about what our goals should be in our new strategic plan. Additional information about how you can be part of this process can be found on our website. Along with the general strategic plan for the district, we also need to start the process of determining how we are going to address the aging facilities in our district. We have been able to utilize grants from the Federal government tomake some necessary repairs, but this is simply a bandaid, and not a long-term solution to our facility issues.
Our athletics are going to look a little different this year. With the disbanding of the East Central Ohio League, we have joined the Ohio Cardinal Conference. This league contains districts that are very similar to New Philadelphia in terms of size and competitive balance. The travel within this new league will take us to new and exciting places such as Lexington and Ashland and the competition our new opponents present us will help to prepare our teams for tournament time and the postseason.
Of course, safety is at the forefront of everyone’s minds as we head back to school. Here at NPCS, we have reviewed and revised all of our safety plans and procedures. Additionally, both the New Philadelphia Police Department and the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Department are working closely with us to make sure that our plans are sound. We value these partnerships with our local law enforcement.
Students may or may not be ready to return to school (although parents are likely ready for that day to arrive), but we are definitely ready for them! Our teachers and staff members are excited to welcome your student back and are looking forward to seeing the wonderful things that they are going to accomplish this year. The new year is full of excitement about the unknowns.
Anything is possible and hope reigns supreme. Let’s go, Quakers!! We are ready to get this yearstarted!
Amy Wentworth is the Superintendent at New Philadelphia City Schools.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Local Perspective: NP Superintendent Amy Wentworth
