March 17, 2022
Greetings Cardinals,
Two years ago this week, we were on what was supposed to be a fun-filled Spring Break, but by the end of the week, we were making plans to keep the school building closed through the 1st week of April. Then within a matter of days, schools were required to close in-person learning for the remainder of the school year. At which time, our focus shifted from teaching students in a face-to-face setting to finding ways to connect with our families to see how we could be of assistance. During this time, we also began planning for the safe return of students to the building in August 2020. So, while I could go on and on about how much uncertainty there was, I won't. Because at The Nest, we were never uncertain about what we were to be doing, "Providing the best learning environment we can for our school community," and that is what we did!
Since March of 2020, our school district has been utilizing the resources provided through federal Covid-19 funds to make significant improvements and investments.
- Upgrade of our entire technology infrastructure
- Replacement of aging classroom technology
- Safety upgrades to secure the building
- Replacement of over 20,000 sqft of aging roofs
- Replacement of inefficient heating, cooling, and plumbing systems
- Renovating classroom spaces to create optimal learning environments
- Investing in custodial equipment and staff
- Upgrade of teaching resources and curriculum
- Continuous professional development opportunities
Beyond utilizing federal Covid-19 funds, we have continued to look for ways to use our local resources to improve our school district and meet the needs of a growing population of students.
- Hiring additional staff members to provide greater student opportunities
- Implementing a Full-Day Preschool option for the 2022-2023 school year
Hiring additional staff members and implementing a full-day preschool option allows us to continue serving the community's needs by providing expanded course offerings, expanding learning opportunities, and reducing class sizes in our elementary school.
While I know our school district is far better today than two years ago, there is still room for improvement. This continuous need for improvements demands us to focus on our mission, "The Cardinal Way – Developing the Cardinal Community as lifelong learners." To fulfill our mission will require us to work together and make continuous improvement the priority.
Michael Stephenson
Superintendent
816-669-3792
mstephenson@stewartsville.k12.mo.us