With gratitude
To the Whitefish community:
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you will join me in gratitude by celebrating our educators, trustees, students, administrators, parents, and schools — and the vital role they all play in our community.
We strive to have our schools serve as a safe place for the education of our children, the community center for gathering, and the pride of supporting our kids as they participate in their academics, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.
Support, working together, and partnership during difficult times means so much for our students and staff. As we take a pause for this holiday break, I want to thank those who have worked hard to support our students and staff in and outside of school.
Keeping our school doors open for in-person learning has been a priority of ours since we began this fall. We couldn’t accomplish that feat without the help of everyone involved in the schools and our community.
This week as I walked through the halls of our buildings, I saw kids and teachers who are engaged and enthusiastic about learning. Over the past 18 months, our staff and student body have endured enormous challenges. I am so thankful for their dedication, resilience, and steadfast effort in these times.
Even with the challenges we have faced, our students’ bright spirits, curiosity, and intellect continue to shine through. Our teachers have worked tirelessly to stay focused on growth for each student and pay attention to individual needs. I am so grateful for all of our educators who have maintained a relentless focus on helping all students succeed.
Understanding the unique needs of each student continues to be a key element of our education process. It has been bolstered by the collaboration of our staff — working together in professional learning communities to provide an education that supports each child.
Strong relationships with effective and respectful communication between students, teachers, families, and the community is the Whitefish I believe in. This is a community where each individual can contribute to the whole. Inside our schools, at our students’ homes, and throughout the greater community, there are many examples of people coming together to solve problems at every turn. Let us continue to work together to support our children in their growth, development, and success.
It takes a special community to succeed during challenging times and I am grateful for your support and for what we have accomplished together. The pride we all have when rallying around our kids and their accomplishments is evident in this place we call home.
Dave Means is the Superintendent of Whitefish Schools.