Jeanné Collins
Superintendent of Schools, Burlington
October 20, 2007

Superintendent's Message

Last month, over 3000 parents filled our classrooms at our Open Houses to learn from teachers what to expect in the new school year. It is a pleasure to work together with Burlington's committed parents and highly-skilled teachers, staff and principals to help each child achieve academic success and reach their potential. Back-to-school brings with it the hopes and dreams of the next generations.

At BHS, Fall sports and extra-curriculars are in full swing, as students pursue rich and rigorous course offerings that range from core arts and sciences to computer literacy, personal finance and web design. New this year, our teachers will be using the web to post lesson plans and assignments. It was great to see so many community members at the dedication of our new athletic field. Other new additions at BHS include a cycling club and a student-organized group to bike together to school. In just one month our high-school students have already logged many hours, helping out at many community activities in Burlington, including Walks for Arthritis, ALS and Autism, the South End Art Hop and trail work at the Intervale.

This year, our six elementary schools welcomed 298 incoming kindergarteners, the BHS Class of 2020. In each of our elementary schools, teachers work to help students become strong readers, writers, problem solvers and critical thinkers. Our successful, longstanding partnerships with local institutions, including Shelburne Farms and The Flynn Theater, deepen learning by interconnecting the environment and the arts with our foundational subjects. Many of our students are also enjoying "eating local" as they sample the harvest in our school gardens.

I continue to work with each school principal on a long-term visioning process. As our district builds upon excellent educational opportunities for all children, I am happy that we are taking meaningful steps forward in our Excellence and Equity planning. Together teachers, students, parents, and community partners help define the right solutions for Burlington. Last Spring, and again this Fall, a vast majority of our teachers confirmed support for economically-balanced classrooms to provide the strongest teaching and learning environment for all students. We also heard many parents from across the city express support for school choice and magnet programs.

I am pleased that the school board has made a commitment to further evaluate the potential for magnet schools to increase academic excellence, opportunities and economic diversity. I look forward to this next step in our work together, as we all learn more about what magnet programs have to offer to our students and what would be involved in creating successful magnet schools.

I look forward to seeing you at the many events our schools will host in the coming months. Please be on the lookout for kids of all ages on foot, bike, and scooter on Wednesday, October 3rd, for our "Walk-to-School" day. To find out more about upcoming activities, please visit www.bsdvt.org.

As always, I would like to hear your questions and ideas to support Burlington's quest to provide the best education it can for its students. Contact me at 865.5332 or superintendent@bsdvt.org