As the new superintendent for the Fountain Hills Unified School District, I want to use this opportunity to share some of the things you can look forward to during the 2015-16 school year. Whether you are returning to the district or joining us for the first time, on behalf of the members of the governing board and our entire staff, welcome and please know that we’re thrilled to have you at our schools. Classes begin on Monday, Aug. 10, and we are excited to begin anew another important segment of each student’s educational journey.

Our mission is to achieve and celebrate educational excellence, and my expectation this year is to focus on that mission throughout our schools and support departments. We will work conscientiously to ensure that our practices are consistent with the vision we’ve developed for the district. The vision for FHUSD includes the following:

*Schools are safe and vibrant places where there is an emphasis on student learning through doing. For schools to be safe and vibrant places, there is a physical aspect we address through our emergency response planning, and we will continue to asses our facilities and practices in order to make the necessary changes to improve site security.

Of equal importance is the environment we create through our interactions and the manner in which we treat one another and to that end, you’ll see an emphasis on what Fountain Hills High School calls the Falcon Way. If, as adults and students, we consistently demonstrate the Falcon Way character traits of respect, integrity, accountability, excellence, discipline, professionalism and responsibility, we will make tangible improvements in the safety and vibrancy of our schools.

In our classrooms at all grade levels, expect more opportunities for students to learn through doing and experiencing higher levels of cognitive engagement. Expect to see an increase in project-based learning, hands-on learning, problem-based learning, student demonstrations of learning, application of learning to real world situations, integration of current technologies as a regular part of the learning process, and research.

*Students are challenged and excel according to their abilities and exit our schools prepared for their next level of learning. Not every student learns in the same way, nor do they have the same interests, aptitudes and ambitions. Thank goodness. Our modern world and modern economy need musicians as well as engineers, soccer players and biochemists, neurosurgeons and skilled tradespeople, coders and entrepreneurs.

To help students excel and be successful now and in the future, our schools will build positive relationships between adults and students with an emphasis on instruction and achievement in the core academic areas, the arts, and the Four Cs: Critical and Creative Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration.

Expect to experience learning activities that expose students to new ideas and new skills, some of which will be learned and mastered more easily than others, depending on the student. Expect to be excited and motivated by exploring and experiencing new challenges in not only math, English, social studies and science, but also in special areas and electives like music, art, PE and Spanish.

I encourage all students and parents to look beyond the regular school day to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities we offer for students to pursue their interests and passions. We offer numerous clubs, intramural activities and sports, all of which create increased opportunities for students to connect to their interests, their peers, caring adults and their school.

So again, welcome to the 2015-16 school year, an exciting new year during which we will achieve and celebrate educational excellence.