Canal Winchester

Welcome to the 2020-2021 School Year! As strange as it sounds, this is probably the most excited I have ever been for the start of a new school year! It is so good to see kids back in our classrooms. I have been in education for over 25 years, and never would I have imagined a school year like this. We’ve talked often about reimagining education or redesigning the delivery of education, but this goes beyond flexible seating and 1:1 technology.

While there are so many variables that are beyond our control and constantly changing, there is one thing that still remains constant: LEARNING NEVER STOPS. How we deliver it may change and change often this year, but teaching our students HOW to learn in different ways is part of molding them into life-long learners. It may not be how we have always done it – at a desk, with a sharpened No. 2 pencil, and on perfectly lined paper. Instead, it may be through Zoom, Google Classroom Discussion Boards, spaced-out classroom layouts, hybrid schedules or even through a self-guided curriculum with virtual support.

This year more than ever, Canal Winchester is focused on flexibility and building positive relationships. Everyone will be adapting to different learning environments, technology, deadlines, and difficult schedules. While we cannot control the ever-changing health guidelines or make things go completely back to normal, we can control how we support and encourage one another during this season.

My goal for this school year is to have our students, staff, and families come out of this pandemic situation better than they entered it. While we will still have expectations and deadlines, I encourage us all to approach each interaction we have with kindness and grace. This year is the perfect opportunity to hone in on our Portrait of a Graduate skills we hope to instill in all students before they go out into the world. While we will continue to focus on the core academic subjects, we will also be giving students opportunities to develop and recognize how to be Respectful Citizens, Problem Solvers, Self-Aware Individuals, Responsible Learners, Collaborators, and Communicators while we as staff members sharpen those skills ourselves.

Again, Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year! Make it a great year or not; the choice is yours!

James Sotlar, Superintendent

PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE  Empowering All Students For Success means more than academic achievement.  For our students to be prepared for life beyond graduation and for meaningful, self-sustaining careers, we must focus on the whole individual.  Our Canal Winchester Portrait of a Graduate describes the skills and attributes that will empower all students for success now and in the future. The portrait describes the skills, attributes and character traits we believe our students need for life beyond graduation. Our goal is to develop the whole child: academically, mentally, socially, and behaviorally. The six themes are all equally important.  The district will take the next year or so to develop a plan of action to implement the Portrait in grades K-12 and develop a measuring tool. We must focus on this as much as we do our academics. They are both important if we truly want to empower all students for success. PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE