Kimball public schools welcome back students

Teachers are already back at school, preparing their classrooms for students. Administrators have been filling out paperwork and finalizing details at the elementary and high school. Students are packing their backpacks full of new pencils, erasers and notebooks. Everyone is preparing for school to start Tuesday, Sept. 2. “We hope that the students have had a restful summer and are looking forward to a great start to the new year,” said Superintendent Scott Thielman. “We want to welcome everyone back and hope that they are prepared and ready to learn. The first thing is to be ready to hit the ground running.” Elementary School Principal Jon Clark said, “We want to welcome [students] and know we are ready for them with a good quality education. Mostly, we want them to enjoy themselves.” For new students, Thielman said that “We have an excellent school district, the students here are very welcoming and very caring. I speak from experience.” While enjoying school and caring classmates contribute to the overall student achievements, Thielman and Clark said that success in school is guaranteed by being involved and having an inquisitive mind. “As students are asking questions and inquiring, we will guide their way and assist them. The resources are here at their fingertips. We encourage all of our students to make use of them [as this will help them succeed].” Clark said. Thielman added, “Success is measured in the progress a student makes during the year and gaining new knowledge. Success is doing your best each and every day.” One way to fortify classroom education is to be involved with extra-curricular activities. Kimball Area High School offers band, choir, drama, art, FFA, knowledge bowl and math counts, to name a few. There are also athletic opportunities like football, volleyball, basketball and baseball. By being involved with after school activities, Thielman said that pupils become well-rounded. As students prepare for school to begin, Thielman said that families shouldn’t be left out of the equation. He said that success starts at home, with everyday routines. “We want to make sure that parents are helping their children by being there to get the students up and ready by the time the bus comes.” With simple preparation for school, parents are encouraging success, Thielman said. When families get their children back into their school routine, they are helping their children focus. The schools also encourage parents to be involved with the whole education process. “Parents should be involved by contacting their children’s teachers, looking for correspondence from school, and filling out forms and returning them promptly.” Clark adds, “The support of the community and home is a must. Students should go home and talk about school work with their mom, dad or older siblings. The family should place a priority on education.” Parents also have the opportunity to be involved with groups at the elementary school and high school. Partners in Education (P.I.E.) is the elementary school group while Together Achieving Greatness (T.A.G.) is the high school parents group. For more information, contact the high school or elementary school offices. “We want everyone to be involved in school. If parents have questions, they can call teachers, the administrators, or call me,” Thielman said. “We want to have a school district that is accessible to everyone.” Building on past achievements Over the past school year, Kimball public schools have improved on state test scores at the elementary and high school levels. The administration hopes to build upon this foundation. “We are excited about building on the success of students and staff. It was a good year last year and we want to build off that,” Clark said. The Kimball school district is projected to have 825 students for 2003-04.