Aiming for Excellence

Earlier this month the Selma City Schools began the implementation of our new five-year strategic plan, A Framework for Excellence.  With four areas of focus, excellence is the cornerstone of this robust plan designed to move our city schools forward.  Aiming for excellence is not just a random idea.  It is what’s needed to give our scholars the best opportunity for a successful future.

Teaching and learning look a lot different now than even just a few years ago.  To achieve excellence, our teachers and leaders must be intentionally focused on meeting the needs of all students.  In our classrooms, teachers are supported by an instructional coach as well as by their school administrators.  This support includes clear expectations for creating learning plans for each student.  This is new for many Team Selma educators and we will learn together what it means to personalize learning pathways for each student.  This is the level of excellence that’s needed in our schools and we are committed to ensuring it.

Being an educator today is definitely a challenge.  As a leader, I fully recognize that although we have work to do, we also have excellence happening every day in our schools and offices.  To this end, last year we created the Aim for Excellence Award.  Everybody wants to feel valued and appreciated for the work they do.  Our teachers and staff are no exception and they certainly deserve it.  Our Aim for Excellence Award is a simple card that includes a handwritten note from the giver.  Given on the spot when excellence is observed, it was very well received by the recipients.  Many commented about being surprised and were appreciative of the fact that their work was noticed.  A word of thanks goes a long way.

We are ready to begin awarding and celebrating our teachers and staff this year.  Along with the card, each person also receives a special gift from one of our local sponsors.  From Queen City and Allez Oup to Albritton Flowers, KFC and Papa Johns, our local community really stepped up.  As we begin a new school year, we again ask for support from our community. 

Whether you partnered with us last year or not, I invite you to join Team Selma as we celebrate excellence amongst our ranks.  Our community engagement specialist, Courtney Washington is excited to work with each business, club, church or individual interested in being part of this movement.  We are serious about our work and we recognize that in order to ensure successful outcomes for all of our students, excellence is the only option!

For more information please reach out to me at avis.williams@selmacityschools.org.

Welcome Back!

On behalf of the Selma City Schools Board of Education, I want to extend a joyful WELCOME BACK to all the children of Selma and Dallas County.  The last few weeks of summer always seem to fly by and here we are, beginning the first week of another school year.  Let’s make this our best school year ever!  As superintendent, I will support our teachers and staff to ensure that it is an excellent year.  Parents and families, please do the same for our scholars.

There are a number of ways that parents and families can partner with schools so that our children can achieve greater success.  Here are just a few.

·       Meet and get to know the teachers and staff.  Forming a positive relationship early in the year will go a long way.  Teachers need you.  Find out when the PTO open house is being held and make plans to attend and to continue to support school events throughout the year.

·       Stay aware of how your child is performing in school.  Don’t wait until report card time to be alarmed.  It is important that we act early when students need help.  Let’s not risk having him/her fall behind.  Schedule an appointment with the teacher if you have any concerns.

·       Encourage your child to read every day!  Limit screen time (TV, cell phone, video games, and social media) and read instead.  Reading for even 20 minutes a day can increase vocabulary and improve students’ grades in other subject areas. All Selma schools have libraries and students also have access to MyOn, which has hundreds of ebooks. 

·       Be a positive role model.  You are your child’s first teacher and they will learn more from you than any lesson at a school.  Show support with a positive attitude.  This will let your child see that you value their education and will go a long way towards them striving to succeed.

As parents and families, you know your child better than anyone.  Working together with our schools is a must.  We believe that our partnership with parents and families is imperative.  For that reason, we are creating the Selma City Schools Parent University.  Planning will begin this fall and we would love to have your input.  Our goal is to strengthen the home, school connection.  We want to provide support and resources to families so that they can better support their children.  Our children deserve our best and we must work together.  If you are a Selma City School family, please look to see more information about our Parent University in the coming months.

Welcome back to Selma City Schools and I hope everyone has an amazing week and a fantastic school year!

For more information please reach out to me at avis.williams@selmacityschools.org.

Happy School Year!

One of the most exciting days for parents, children and teachers is just a few days away!  Yes, it’s almost the first day of school.  My excitement is immense as Team Selma looks forward to welcoming over 3,000 scholars back to school for the 2018-19 year.  This week will be a busy one as we continue to prepare to give our babies the best that we have to offer.  Excellence is the only option.

With this in mind, our teachers, leaders and staff are dedicating countless hours to ensure that classrooms are ideal environments for learning.  As part of this, about 50 of our team members participated in Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH) last week.  Our goal in implementing CKH is simple.  We want to provide a safe, nurturing learning environment for each one of our scholars.  We want our schools to be places where students can be themselves and find themselves.  CKH is all about building relationships and creating a learning community in every classroom.  This starts with having a caring teacher in every classroom.  Our students deserve this.

So what else are we doing to achieve excellence?  We have new principals at five of our schools.  Selma native, Stoney Pritchett assumes the helm of Selma High. Chimeria Evans and Pam Rackley are changing roles to lead Sophia P. Kingston and Meadowview Elementary Schools respectively.  Veteran administrator, Concetta Burton is our new principal of R.B. Hudson and Team Selma welcomes Dr. Margaret Jones to lead the Busy Bees of Edgewood. 

Along with new principals we also look forward to welcoming our new teachers.  Among our new team members are several from the corps of Teach for America.  This amazing organization trains and supports teachers in communities nationwide and even abroad.  Teach for America’s core values revolve around an appreciation for diversity and equity.  I look forward to sharing more about these leaders and other members of Team Selma.

As part of our back-to-school weekend, we hope to see you at our Aim for Excellence 5K or 1-mile Fun run.  The event will take place on Saturday at Bloch Park.  Registration and packet pick-up begin at 6:45 and the 5K starts at 7:30.  For more information, check out our website or our social media sites.

Finally, this week is our Media Week.  We are taking time to tell our own story.  Tune into your local talk radio shows and our social media sites to learn more about the implementation of our strategic plan and district priorities for the new school year.  I will also share exciting information about our revised non-resident student policy.  Yes, even if you do not live in Selma you can apply to enroll your children in one of our schools.  Selma City Schools is on the move and we look forward to you being a part of it.  Happy School Year!

For more information please reach out to me at avis.williams@selmacityschools.org.