The 2010-2011 school year is upon us. There have been many exciting things happening in the Ellinwood Public School District. We have started some new initiatives that the staff and students created, and the district is already seeing the fruits of their work and dedication. We are creating an environment of excellence that will become the standard for students now and in the future.

We have enhanced our website (www.usd355.org) with a vivid perspective of our district. All teachers are working hard to update their pages with information to augment their instruction in the classroom. We are also making it more interactive to include live web-streaming and archiving of events. This will allow people from all over the world to follow the activities and successes of our students. We also now have a dedicated radio station for Ellinwood activities. The Star 107.9 will be broadcasting all football and basketball games and some volleyball and softball contests. These broadcasts can also be accessed on-line for anybody at any location. This, too, will serve as a way to introduce the public to the successes of our students and staff.

In cooperation with Barton Community College, we now offer over 20 dual credit college hours for every student, without ever having to leave to confines of EHS. This is over a semester’s worth of college credit that can be earned in our district, taught by our own highly qualified instructors as employees of both the district and BCC. We are looking at adding additional hours in the future. This is a great opportunity for our students to enter post-secondary institutions prepared and ahead of the game.

Our grade school is implementing the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program as part of their character education initiative. They are also giving special recognition to acts of kindness and service to others. They are placing an emphasis on creating a building that is centered on excellence, especially through service to others. There definitely is a positive buzz being created at the lower grades in our district.

Activities are already off to a great start as the volleyball and tennis teams had successful opening competitions. Football begins this week at home vs. Thomas More Prep. Our middle school is also beginning competitions this week. Ellinwood’s rich music tradition will continue with Lori Underwood, Debbie Lebbin, and Don Regehr creating opportunities for our students with concerts, musicals, and contests throughout the year. Also, debate will begin its season on September 18th to compete for the first time this year. We are looking forward to much success with Eagle activities this year.

We have started something special here in the Ellinwood Public School District. We encourage you to become a part of this exciting time in the district. If you are interested in becoming involved in supporting a school activity (in any way), or if you simply have questions about a school event, don’t hesitate to call either the grade school or middle/high school. They will gladly help you with your inquiries. We are building a culture of excellence in the district and want to make everyone associated with the school system (including the community) proud of what we do. We are Ellinwood. We are Eagles. We will be excellent. Ellinwood Public Schools 2010-2011: Achieving Excellence.