SUPER MONDAY

A motivational and informational morning message from Superintendent Willis

Week 20 ~ January 1st, 2024

Super Monday Message

Happy New Year! Before I get into the motivational part, let me give an update on our elementary school grant applications. On election day the proposal for a new combined elementary school in Junction failed. The following day we contacted the state board of education office to inform them of that. They informed us that because the grant applications review committee had postponed their scoring and ranking meeting from before election day to the week after election day, they would still allow us to modify the application. So, we revised the first application to be for two new elementary schools. When the committee met we had two applications, one for a new Circleville Elementary, and one for two new elementary schools.

On December 19th we received a call from the USBE that our revised application for two new elementary schools was being recommended to the state school board for funding. Meaning that we are conditionally approved to receive 18 million in grant funding for a new Circleville Elementary School and a new Oscarson Elementary School. The conditions of receiving the 18 million dollar grant are that first the state school board approves the committee's recommendations in their January 11th meeting and two that we increase our capital levy to .00225.

There are still a lot of different possibilities and decisions, but things look somewhat optimistic for replacing both elementary schools on the same lots over the next few years. More information will be coming over the next few weeks.

For the motivational message, remember the old proverb, “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” You might be starting new goals today or at least considering doing something new and better. You might be looking at your own hypothetical elephant and wondering how you could possibly eat it. The answer is one bite at a time. Henry Ford said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” 

In 1978 a man literally broke down a small airplane to eat it. Over the course of two years Michel Lotito of France cut his small airplane into tiny pellets and ate it. He was also famous for eating a variety of other strange things that earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. While the iron in your morning cereal might be sufficient for your health, the message is that big goals can be broken down into small parts. 1 minute of exercise is better than 0 minutes of exercise. Remember “the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step” Lao Tzu.

Or in more modern language….. “Your first workout will be bad.  Your first podcast will be bad.  Your first speech will be bad. Your first video will be bad. Your first ANYTHING will be bad.  but you can't make your 100th without making your first. So put your ego aside, and start.”

Have a great week 20 and the best new year ever.

Super High Fives

Just a couple of the awesome recent accomplishments that need a big thank you. 

• A super high five to Oscarson Elementary faculty, staff, students, and community for another fantastic Christmas party. The music, decorations, choreography, and performances were wonderful. It is a very unique and fun tradition. 
• A super high five to Mrs. Meredith Vasquez for leading the charge on The Alumni Project. Her students have scanned and filed thousands of historical documents and images connected to school district history. Lots of school history would be lost without her effort in leading the project this year. Everything from prom programs to basketball stat books have been collected and scanned for historical preservation. And historical preservation is only one aspect of The Alumni Project.

Other Super Information

• Winter Sports Schedule
• Draft 2024-2025 School District Calendar

Super Weekly Schedule