I hope you had a chance to read the earlier writings that described, first, the underlying ideas of the district’s strategic plan and second, the student learning objectives the plan includes. If you did not and you find you have questions, you can go to the school web site and see some of the information there. You do not need to have read the previous articles to understand what will be said here.

It sure is fun to walk into a kindergarten classroom. The decorations, the atmosphere, the conversations are all so colorful and dynamic. There is laughter and motion—and above all the children seem naturally curious, sincere and willing to please. Many adults smile even at the thought of seeing a room full of young children happily engaged in learning.

Though it’s not the first thing we think of, I can tell you from experience that it can also be fun to walk into every other type of classroom. Giggly middle school students who would never admit it, but who still crave adult interaction; high school seniors who aren’t sure which is stronger, their longing to graduate and move on, or their desire to stay where things are familiar and predictable; they all have their charms.

So as much fun as it is to be in the school, why do we see so few community members in our buildings?

Don’t let me hurt your feelings if you are one of those adults who does come. Every NRHEG staff member is grateful for the generous support, assistance and input received from parents, members of community organizations, and representatives of area businesses who give of their time. Volunteers do everything from planning activities to painting and repairing structures, to strengthening student learning with their experience.

It’s a two-way street, of course. NRHEG students have given presentations, performed volunteer community service, and helped with large-scale clean-up projects. I hope everyone sees our concerts and other public performances as the heartfelt gifts they are, students pouring out their talents for the sake of their family members and neighbors.

I would say that the school and community have a lot to offer each other, except for one thing: we ARE each other.

The strategic plan mentioned above includes close attention to the ways our students can use their talents to benefit our communities, and also looks for ways to encourage community members to feel welcome to visit and enrich our classrooms. The value of finding projects of this type is—I believe—obvious.

But here I could definitely use your help. I would love to hear from you about community members or organizations with standout skills and experiences. These names would be shared with our teachers, who are always looking for ways to expand student learning. Just visit the school web site; you will find my contact information under the “district” heading—or e-mail me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The school would especially like to work with some community members to establish a school-wide booster program—that is, a far-reaching community support system which encourages all student activities, rather than the limited systems which currently focus on a single group or event. The strategic planning stakeholders saw great possible benefits from such an organization, and would love to see a dialog about it.

In the meantime, I know our security measures—our locked doors and check-in procedures—may seem intimidating. But they’re not meant to keep you out. We are educating and guiding our communities’ children, and there’s no question we want our communities to be part of that process. Your skills and your time would be appreciated in helping our kids safely across busy streets, assisting students as they work on projects for the science fair, reading with them to help build their skills and love of written language, supervising lunchrooms or playgrounds, cultivating the school garden, or finding derivatives in calculus. If you have a few hours to spare, there is almost certainly a way we could use them.

Who knows, while you’re here you might make some lasting connections with far-reaching benefits. In the meantime, I hope you’ll give all these matters some thought and be in touch. By the way, for those of you who prefer good old paper and pencil, you can mail things to me at the NRHEG Public Schools, 306 Ash Ave South, New Richland 56072.