Dear Parents and ISD181 Community Members,

Whether we are listening and looking for it or whether it takes us by surprise the summer is fading.  Anticipation and excitement are here.  Children of the community-our students--are returning to the rhythms and the routines we create for them in the Brainerd Public Schools.

As we have done now for two years, we will push ahead through a changed system. After two years of working through dramatic shifts, the overall changes to programs, to buildings, and to the expectations of our community are less pronounced this year even as the challenges we have faced remain.  We will continue to work with diminished resources.  We will do more work with fewer people.  We will continue to face very tight margins in revenue and expense, and we will continue to confront the rising expectations of state and federal mandates.  Our work is not easy; the times are not easy.

Some of our greatest challenge will be to continue to help one another and to enlist the support of parents, grandparents, and volunteers to reinforce the importance of schooling.  As we endeavor to ensure that each and every child moves to proficiency in reading, mathematics, writing, and science, we must respectfully challenge each other to pay closer attention to children and offer more support for the work they need to do as students. Talking about school, demanding students do their homework, and reading to and with children are huge helps to the growth of a child.

Our efforts to reach out with patience, humility, and courage will be necessary for our collective success, and no small kindness will be wasted.  Each of us has the opportunity to create breakthroughs and miracles for learners every day, and close connections with our students and their families amplify our efforts.

We are excited about the implementation of new Science lessons in all of our schools, as well as the enhancements we have made to promote lower elementary class sizes.  Our focus of study regarding programs this year will center on K-12 Reading and Language Arts curriculum. As a large school system, we are also focused on improving the diagnosis of learning difficulties and implementation of proven strategies which keep struggling learners from falling behind.  New leaders in some of our schools and many new staff have joined us and are excited to start a great school year.

We believe the quality of our schools and the sustainability of our high-quality quality educational programs are necessary and beneficial for the overall health and attractiveness of the Brainerd Lakes area.  Welcome to our new website, and welcome back to all of our students, their families, and the staff and volunteers who make up our exceptional system!