Dr. Ray Queener, Superintendent
Cambridge-Isanti Schools
At the back to school workshop this past August, I asked all staff to send me and to continually share good news about happenings from around the district.
I can tell you Cambridge-Isanti Schools’ staff have done a great job sharing information. We try to start all meetings in the district with good news and there are always wonderful things happening in our schools, classrooms, buses, cafeterias and athletic facilities.
A few highlights of recent good news include: Recognizing Bree Erickson and Jett Serie as our CIHS Triple A (Academics, Arts, Athletics) Award Recipients for this year; Tammy Kraft, Federal Programs Coordinator, has been awarded the 2016 State Leadership Award from NAFEPA (National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators); Special recognition to bus driver Jannine McLaughlin who, after her last drop off for the day, came to a car in the ditch and upon checking the car, found a stranded passenger in the car. Jannine grabbed the seatbelt cutter from the bus and helped get the passenger safely back to the bus to await EMS staff. Finally, the student council at Isanti Middle School-Minnesota Center under the guidance of advisor Adam Gau wanted to add another AED closer to the gym for the safety of students and spectators. Upon making contact with Cambridge Medical Center and Allina the district was very fortunate to receive a generous gift of an AED and cabinet to meet the need identified by the student council. Congratulations to all with very special thanks.
During this school year one of my goals is to continue to improve communications. We are trying to reach out through multiple mediums to provide information to both internal staff as well as the external community. Late this fall the new website was launched with a much improved user interface. While it continues to evolve, I hope you find it easier to navigate with more up-to-date information. In addition, as of this writing, we are very close to launching the district’s very first mobile app. This will be yet another mode of communication from the district. Look for more information on this coming very soon. Additionally, this week we produced our very first podcast. The primary purpose of this podcast is to communicate information to staff about district happenings and information related to the district book read; although, it is publicly available and all are welcome to listen in. The podcast is located on the district website under the “About” tab.
During the holiday season, I always try to take a moment and reflect on the many blessings in my life. While I am so very thankful for a tremendous, loving, and supportive family, I am equally blessed to be a part of the Cambridge-Isanti Schools family as well. There are so many wonderful things happening throughout the district; it is truly amazing. As I have visited schools, classrooms, and events throughout the district this fall, I believe we have one of the best school districts. If you have a chance, stop in and visit a classroom, take in an event, or just follow along through our communications. It’s a great day to be a Bluejacket. Happy holidays to all.
You can find Cambridge-Isanti Schools online at www.c-ischools.org, and also follow me on Twitter @Queener1 for the latest news and updates.