December 2016
December is in full swing and 2017 will be here before we know it. The district has seen many changes and improvements over the past several months and I want to thank everyone for their support and understanding as we move through the year.
We have finally moved on from the summer storm damage and, once again, I would like to thank the volunteers of the community who helped us get through the trying times. Improvements continue with maintaining our facilities and technology. We are one of the major leaders in technology and plan on continuing this trend in the future so our students will have the best chances of becoming successful adults.
The Wolves coop has been challenging at times but has been great for the students overall. I am super impressed by the Wolves committee who work hard to make sure the students’ interests are put on the front burner. For example, the committee is dedicated to making sure kids have time with their families by not holding weekend practices and protecting down time around the holidays. We have also eliminated morning practices to ensure the safety of our student in the early morning commute. Holding separate practices with individual schools is not recommended in order to send the message of teamwork and unity. As a committee, we have also worked through many challenges such as homecoming activities and seasonal traditions. I feel the coop is a great success to this point and will work hard to make sure it continues. The committee is made up of school board members from each district as well as administrators and athletic directors. I am very honored to be a part of it.
We have been working hard to keep up with the demands of the day. The food services review was conducted by an independent contractor for DESE. The results are not in but the preliminary report is good. Transportation has been a challenge with an older fleet and more demands for practices and activities. Heating and cooling is always on the front burner as we continue to make plans to update the facilities and make it more energy efficient.
The students and patrons of Fairfax RIII are a joy to work with. I am always impressed with our faculty and staff as they face the challenges and demands of education. We continue to work toward improving instruction to reach all students.
It wouldn’t be December without mentioning the risks and plans for the winter months. We will, once again, be attempting to keep all school days as normal as possible. This means we will be doing late starts or early outs if the weather and roads get bad. Please visit our website at http://www.fairfaxk12mo.us/ for a list of media we will announce cancellations as well as how to sign up for text notifications.
Thank you all again for your ongoing support of the Fairfax RIII School District. We are very proud of our accomplishments and welcome everyone to be a part of our success. If at any time you have questions or comments please feel free to contact me at the school at mgarrett@fxbulldogs.net or 6606862421.
Dr. Michael C. Garrett, Superintendent Fairfax RIII