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Greetings!

The unseasonably cold weather this summer has probably hastened our look to the start of school. I've already visited with a number of students -- of all ages -- and each of them are looking forward to the start of another school year with positive anticipation. Most parents would joke that the start of school this fall is long over due!

We all know, however, that when it comes to our children, their health, well being, and happiness is most important to us. And when it comes to the schools that our children attend, we expect that they will be safe and nurturing, and will not only provide an opportunity for our children to be successful, but will do everything possible to ensure that success. These parental expectations are not new; they're just much more public and much more emphatic.

We welcome the expectation for high levels of excellence, because we believe that is what the Spring Lake Park Schools provide. Last year, almost 400 students open enrolled to our district (elected to enroll here from other metro area districts) and we anticipate that number to be over 500 students for this coming year. I believe families choose our district because they have heard positive comments from our most important "critics" (who also happen to be our most qualified experts): the parents of children who presently attend schools in our district.

As we begin to celebrate our 50th year this fall, I believe that the positive support from parents and the community is well-earned. Our students have demonstrated extraordinary achievements throughout the school year. Our district boasts international champions in our Opportunities for Emergency Care program and national rankings by middle school students in the WordMasters language arts competition as well as a sixth place nationally in the Middle School Continental Math League. Our second grade academic team placed first in the nation in both the Social Studies Olympiad and the National Geography Challenge and another team earned a second place finish as well.

The list of national, state, and conference academic championships could go on and on, and we invite you to learn more about our academic, fine arts, and athletic successes by continuing to visit our website which is soon to sport a new look.

While many of our students are achieving on a level that ranks them nationally, there is a gap among other students in that level of achievement, and much of it is reflected through socioeconomic indicators. Our staff has been receiving extensive training to improve their ability to deal with students of all walks of life.

What once was a more homogeneous district has now become reflective of our urban and suburban society, with students attending from dozens of countries, speaking over 22 languages. This is in addition to students with mental and physical handicapping conditions that make their road to success a little more challenging.

These are among the major challenges for our district, but we are eager to accept these challenges and live up to our school district purpose statement: "High expectations. High Achievement. For All. No Excuses." The success of our students reflects our emphasis on positively impacting the "whole" student, and it also reflects our emphasis of reaching and helping every student to improve and succeed.

We think that our school district is the perfect size. We've been described as "small in size, extra-large in opportunity," and we're proud of that description.

We work daily to live up to these high levels of expectations, and we invite each of you to visit our schools and help us achieve even higher levels of success for each of our students.

The teachers and staff of District 16 are looking forward to a great year in serving children and families in Blaine, Spring Lake Park, and Fridley. I am very proud to be a part of this staff and this school community!