Congratulations, Class of 2015! As I stood shaking hands with more than 1,300 seniors at Goose Creek CISD’s four graduation ceremonies and noticing the happy smiles of the graduates as well as hearing the excited cheers from their families and friends, I was reminded that these young ladies and young men are at a threshold where they must decide what to do with their lives. For some, the decision about where to go to college or which job to take was easy and had already been made before they crossed the stage that memorable day marking the end of their public school years. In fact, Goose Creek CISD students were offered more than $9 million in scholarships during the 2014-2015 school year. Others have yet to decide what they will do when going to school becomes a choice rather than an obligation.

Not everyone has the same talents or takes the same pathway. That’s why it is so important that we continue allowing our Goose Creek CISD students choices, such as career pathways and an expanding Career and Technical Education program as well as academies, pre-advanced placement and advanced placement classes, dual credit and Early College High School. Preparing our students to graduate college and career ready starts in kindergarten and continues until the last day of school their senior year. I am proud of the advancements that our district continues to make to help our students become 21st century learners and make choices about life after high school before it becomes a reality. Thanks to the faculties, staffs, parents and other family members who guided and encouraged these students throughout the past 13 years, and I hope you take pride in their accomplishments. It is also remarkable that the graduates’ friends and family members in more than 11 different countries, including Mexico, India and Germany, celebrated with them by viewing the ceremonies on our live broadcast.

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate our district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year, Dolores Serrano from George W. Carver Elementary, and Secondary Teacher of the Year, Robert Chambliss from Robert E. Lee High School. They will advance to the Region 4 Teacher of the Year competition. We wish them well as they continue to represent Goose Creek CISD beyond the end of the school year.

I also want to remind parents that the safety of our students is our top priority, so we follow established guidelines for emergency situations, which includes training principals in procedures to share with their staffs and requiring monthly fire drills and other drills, such as shelter in place, lockdown, severe weather and reverse evacuation once each semester. Although power outages are often without notice, the administrative staff uses good judgment and common sense to determine appropriate steps to take when deciding if the campus will remain open or if parents will be called to pick up their children. Of course, you are always welcome to pick up your students in the case of a power outage, and we will make every effort to communicate with you as soon as we assess the situation. The district will always make a concerted effort to communicate these decisions in a timely manner, using all resources, including the customary School Messenger phone notification system, the district website and our social media channels. 

You may have noticed that we have crews working at numerous campuses and facilities as a result of the 2013 Bond. These renovations going on all over the district are related to mechanical, electric and plumbing projects that will lead toward a more efficient operation of the district’s facilities. Most of the work on these projects will wrap up prior to the beginning of the 2015- 2016 school year in August. Meanwhile, summer school is underway on those campuses not being impacted by those MEP projects. 

Summer is a time for many administrators and teachers alike to develop strategic plans for the upcoming school year; however, I do hope that you are able to take some time for yourselves this summer to relax, travel or whatever makes you happy and to rejuvenate for the 2015-2016 school year. We will continue to keep you updated on what is happening in our district this summer.