A Note of Thanks from Dr. Johnson
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe first 13 weeks of the school year have gone by quickly, and it has been both exciting and productive thus far. We have already completed the first quarter and are well into our second.
Winter sports are upon us and we are excited about the potential for each of these seasons. Although we continue to navigate through some COVID-19 related challenges, our district staff and students have remained resilient through it all. We continue to look forward to better days ahead for our families, our staff and our Cassville community. Make no mistake, this has been a challenging time for all of us. We have all been impacted by COVID-19 - academically, economically, medically, emotionally and physically. Aside from these challenges, there exist many small victories and silver linings. Over the past few weeks, we have had numerous celebrations as our students and staff have been able to participate in a traditional school setting with few restrictions. We congratulate them all on persevering and navigating through such a unique school experience. We thank our entire staff for their dedication to our students, not just academically but also socially and emotionally. We thank our families for their constant support and cooperation.
We recently updated our Return to Learn Plan to include the new Test to Stay option. Although this option exists, we are unable to adequately maintain the necessary resources for all willing students to be tested as frequently as possible. Due to a limited supply of testing kits, we will now only offer an early test-out option on day 7 of quarantine. This Return to Learn Plan can be accessed on our website. We will continue to share additional guidance received regarding mitigation strategies and other health-related guidelines. Continue to check our website for important updates.
As we reflect on the many things for which we are thankful, I want to take this opportunity to share just a few of them with you. First, we are thankful for our students who come to school every day ready and willing to learn. They give us all a daily reminder of what is important, bring us purpose to work hard for something greater than ourselves, and they serve as a constant reminder for why we are here. We are thankful for the support of the parents, grandparents and guardians in creating an outstanding partnership for our students. Our families dedicate so much time and energy in order to serve as an advocate for their children and to support their children’s many endeavors here at Cassville R-IV Schools.
We are thankful for the teachers, paras, bus drivers, custodians, maintenance workers, secretaries, nurses, nutrition staff, therapists, administrators, and all other support staff who really care about student achievement and who have the best interests of our students at heart. Through everyone’s efforts, our school is filled with positive, productive, and powerful learning each and every day. We are also thankful for our community supporters, churches, retired teachers, and volunteers who enthusiastically contribute so much to our school. I continue to witness dedicated and tireless individuals going above and beyond to make sure great things happen at Cassville R-IV Schools. Every single person truly does make a difference in the lives of our students, and those students, in their own individual ways, benefit from those efforts.
Most importantly, we are thankful for the parents, grandparents and guardians who continue to share their most valuable possessions with us and, in most cases, work hard and advocate to be a partner in their children’s education, safety and well-being. For this, we are ever so thankful.
My family and I have been warmly received by many individuals in the community and district. We feel so blessed to be part of a community that holds true to the values and traditions that we are familiar with from our own personal experiences. As the superintendent of schools, I will do everything within my abilities to see that the District’s efforts to achieve greatness for the children of Cassville R-IV will remain strong for generations to come. The District is in a great position to continue to embrace knowledge, respect tradition, and foster community.
I would like to wish all of you and your families a very happy, healthy and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday!
Sincerely,
Dr. Merlyn Johnson
Cassville R-IV Superintendent