Superintendent's Letter

Spring 2011

Dear Parent or Guardian:

The fragrance of the lilac bush in the high school yard along with the bright yellow and purple flowers flanking our school doors are sure signs that spring has arrived to stay. This spring is particularly welcome when we think back to the snow-buried winter we left behind and also because it marks the arrival of the Class of 2011’s final push toward graduation. This year’s class is special because of its singular stature for the school. They are the first class to have attended Mystic Valley from kindergarten through twelfth grade. No other class has spent so much time, indeed all of their school years in one school! Congratulations go out to the Class of 2011 for their milestone achievement.

Spring is the season of hopeful optimism, a time when graduates look forward to the culmination of their efforts and we all feel renewed energy. When we think of the school’s accomplishments, it is easy to find reasons for optimism. The new facility on Eastern Ave. is rapidly rising from the ground and taking shape. The school’s athletic teams continue to perform well, rising to new levels as new challenges are placed before them. Drama clubs are performing, bands are playing, and students are reading good books. Just the other day, I met one fellow coming down the stairs still engrossed in his dog-eared edition of Where the Red Fern Grows, a classic work of literature for the early teen years.

Amid all of this ferment and growth, it is worth remembering that the school continues to be accorded approval by outside agencies as well. Recently, I received a letter from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education informing me that the school’s Special Education Programs had received their unqualified approval after a comprehensive review. Here’s a direct quotation from that letter: “We are pleased to tell you that the Department has found your district to be in compliance with all of the criteria monitored in your district during the Mid-cycle Review…You and your entire staff are to be congratulated for your success in implementing the requirements included in these criteria.”

This kind of external validation of the school’s programs is continuing evidence of our desire to provide your child with “the opportunity for a world-class education” that our mission statement promises. While we continue to build on past achievements and look to a bright future, particularly during this beautiful month of May, I would like to thank you for your continued confidence and assure you that we will continue working to make the school’s mission an ever more vibrant reality.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. McCleary, Ph.D.
Superintendent/Director