Superintendent Dean walks campuses of Jasper ISD
By BILL "BUTCH" DEAN JISD Superintendent

With the summer of 2007 drawing to a close, it is my pleasure to welcome everyone back for the 2007-2008 school year.

This summer has been an exciting and successful one with higher summer school participation than we have had in the past. We congratulate those students who took advantage of our credit recovery and enrichment programs.

During the 2006-2007 school year, the JISD family was saddened by the loss of three veteran teachers: Coach Lloyd Weatherspoon, Mr. Charles Simmons and Mrs. Aretha Gatson-Beatty. They were all veteran educators and highly respected by students and staff.

You cannot replace the character and expertise they brought to our district, however, we will continue to strive to educate our students by following the example they established for all of us.

Jasper ISD staff has also been busy learning. Teachers at Few Primary have been learning a new curriculum and science teachers in grades 6-12 have completed their training from the University Of Texas DANA Center. Ongoing staff development is scheduled for this school year.

We will continue math training for teachers in grades 2-5 and pre-advance and advanced placement curriculum training for JJHS and JHS teachers.

You may notice some new faces this year at JISD. I am pleased to welcome two new board members to our Board of Trustees. Melissa Armstrong and Kevin Kipp are dedicated to our students and will be valuable members of our team.

Also, Kevin McCugh is the principal at Jasper High School and Victor Williams will be the principal at Rowe Intermediate School. We are confident in their ability and determination to make their campuses successful.

As always, student safety is of the utmost importance to us at JISD. The district has an Emergency Operations Plan that has been implemented with drills conducted each year.

In May, I informed you that the district had installed a new phone in each classroom. With this system, we have the ability to broadcast an emergency district wide.

"School Messenger", another feature of this system, gives us the capability to call all JISD parents within fifteen minutes to notify them of an emergency or school closing.

To further insure student safety, the school dress code that was released in May will be in effect beginning this school year.

We need your support and involvement in this and every other aspect of your child's education. You are valuable to us and critical to your child's success at JISD.

Please, get to know us; visit us; talk with you child's teacher; work with us to help insure your child's success and become a part of our team.

We need you and we welcome you. We have parent liaisons on each campus to assist you if needed.

New programs are being planned for the 2007-2008 school year which will include a stronger focus on student and staff wellness.

A new Physical Education/Classroom/Chil d Nutrition/Family program called "Catch" (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) will be fully implemented in kindergarten through the 8th grade.

It teaches students healthy choices that are reinforced in each of these four areas. We are in the process of developing a staff wellness program in the belief that we all benefit from good habits and good health.

Another new program that we are pleased to offer in our community is called ed2go.

As you are aware, online learning has grown at remarkably fast pace. Ed2Go, which we are striving to have online in September, can be accessed through the district's website. The program will offer wide variety of courses for the community, our students and employees.

Jasper ISD alternative high school campus, Southeast Texas Academic Recovery School (STARS) which opened its doors in February of 2006, has successfully graduated 14 students as of May 2007.

Beginning in August of 2007, we are expecting a record enrollment for the 2007-2008 school year.

Through the continued support of the community of Jasper and its citizens and grants that the district has been able to attain, this program provides a second chance for many students to obtain a high school diploma.

We welcome Andy Golden as Director of the STARS campus.

I would like to say thanks in advance to all of you who realize that our students are the future of our community and beyond. Please continue to assist us at Jasper ISD as we strive to educate our community's citizens of tomorrow.

Once again I would like to say, it is both a privilege and an honor to serve this community and its citizens as your superintendent.