By Dr. Annette Weissman, Principal SIB Community School

Graduations! Weddings!  Father’s Day!  June is a very busy month for everyone.  But for those of us in education, June holds special significance.  It is a time when classroom teachers wish another group of children a wonderful summer and then reflect on what was unique about this group of students.  As an administrator, I, too, take time to savor the successes, to plan for a better tomorrow, to thank the players, to welcome the newcomers, and to remember why I chose this career path.

As another June nears its end, I must thank the parents and the community for their support throughout the year.  Your confidence in me and in the school is a never ending source of comfort and motivation.  I want to briefly share some of the highlights of this year so you can appreciate the wide range of opportunities our students enjoy at SIBCS.

First and foremost, our students achieved academic success.  Our students’ performance on the 1st and 2nd Grade Stanford Achievement Tests and on the FCAT for grades 3-7 was terrific.  We will learn what our letter grade is next month.

Our band, chorus, and string students performed innumerable times throughout the community to the delight of the audiences.  Two of our violin students were awarded first and second place in a recent competition. 

Our young orators were also winners in local and regional oratorical competitions.

Our young scientists were recognized for their outstanding science fair projects at the district wide contests.

Our young artists were winners of poster contests in a variety of areas including water conservation.

Our young authors were winners of county wide contests and were privileged to have three renown authors visit the school and share their stories with us.

Our young mathematicians were winners in county wide team and individual competitions.

Our young students were generous, responsible citizens supporting Jump Rope for Heart, Thanksgiving Baskets, Toy Drives, Book Drives, Clothing Drives for Haiti, writing to servicemen to name just a few, serving as safety patrols and participating in after school clubs and activities.

As we look forward to next year, I am delighted to welcome our eighth grade students and the new teachers we are adding to our staff.  In addition we are excited about the expansion of the music department to include a keyboard lab.  This will afford our students a wonderful opportunity to master another set of skills.  We will also be opening our indoor exercise room, offering new after school clubs, and enriching our mathematical and science resources.  The list goes on, but I will save some surprises for the fall.

Enjoy your summer schedule and remember that classes resume on Monday, August 23rd.