Submitted by Ethan Sickles,

Rock Port R-II Superintendent

Welcome to 2020 . . . I certainly hope your holidays were filled with family, friends, and wonderful memories! Doesn’t seem possible, but the second half of our school year is off to a flying start. We are looking forward to another fantastic semester of accomplishments for our students, and hope you will join us along the way at many of the upcoming activities we have throughout the months of January and February.

December is always a whirlwind . . . there’s never a dull moment, and most of the nights are filled with chances for our students to shine. Our junior high basketball teams finished up fantastic seasons; our high school wrestlers and basketball teams are off to great starts; we had two top-notch concerts/programs showcasing our talents; and STEM night in the elementary is always a full house. That’s not counting the great community support we had for our FFA Blood Drive and Blue Jay Shop for our elementary kiddos. Thank you to everyone who has pitched in the past month to help us provide great opportunities for our students.

January signals the legislature being back in session, and I am sure just like in the past few years that charter schools and funding will highlight the list again this year. It’s still plenty early, but I will do my best to keep you informed of any major changes that look to come our way. This month is always a little nerve wracking because you hear a long list of things legislators want to change in education . . . while many may not be bad ideas, you sometimes wonder what, or whom, is behind their reasoning. In addition, our local tax revenues arrive soon, and you are never sure where you stand with your budget until that money arrives! Here in a couple of weeks I will have a much better idea of where we stand and where we need to head as we plan for the 2020-21 school year.

I wish nothing but the best for you as you enter this new year. I appreciate your support of our students and school, and know we have so much to be thankful for here in Blue Jay Nation. As always, I leave you with three important words . . . GO BIG BLUE!